


Days of the Marauders

by cherie92



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Detectives, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-02-23
Packaged: 2018-03-14 19:59:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 69,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3423674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherie92/pseuds/cherie92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Don't look for a Princes Charmings of Hogwarts here. This is a story about the Marauders!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two mice in the high grass

**Author's Note:**

> All the rights belong to JK Rowling. Everything else is just a result of my impetuous imagination.
> 
> I want to thank my first interpreter Maria Cherevko, who is amazing and who suggested me to try and translate it in English. Mary did a great job translating the first thirteen chapters. Also I want to thank my new interpreter Elena Zhdanova, and the third one - Taisia Ivchenko, who came to help us suddenly and share with DotM her style and experience  
> Now I wanna Thank you very much girls!  
> You're precious!
> 
> More I want to thank my very first muse who inspired me on this work and share with me her precious little OC.  
> My dear Viria, thank you for Roxanne.  
> After all this years she's become our common child. I love her, and I love you.  
> Thank you for her and for your amazing drawings <3

#### 

####  **July 31, 1970 ****

#### 

**

_«It was many and many a year ago,_

_In a kingdom by the sea,_

_That a maiden there lived whom you may know_

_By the name of Annabel Lee;_

_And this maiden she lived with no other thought_

_Than to love and be loved by me._

_I was a child and she was a child,_

_In this kingdom by the sea,_

_But we loved with a love that was more than love—_

_I and my Annabel Lee—_

_With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven_

_Coveted her and me._

_And this was the reason that, long ago,_

_In this kingdom by the sea,_

_A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling_

_My beautiful Annabel Lee;_

_So that her highborn kinsmen came_

_And bore her away from me,_

_To shut her up in a sepulchre_

_In this kingdom by the sea.. ››_

_E. Poe_

The wet onshore wind had broken into the hall of Malfoy's summer residence, widely opening glass doors. An old elf dropped the tray with the tea set on to the coffee table frightenedly and ran up to the curtains, which had gone berserk, to calm them down. There was barely any sense in doing this, but Edwin winced with displeasure every time they rose from behind her back, so the elf had to fight them, unminding of the senselessness.

The thunder-storm had been bulking up above San-Sebastian since the very morning, pressing down on the small city, making the air extremely humid, so the inhabitants could hardly breathe. Heavy black clouds had been roaring threateningly above the sea for more than an hour, every now and then rolling to the mountain ridge, on which Malfoy's house was standing. It seemed as if the water was breaking out this part of the continent and carrying it away in the waters.

"The weather is disgusting," Mrs. Malfoy groaned, covering her bare shoulders with a chiffon mantle. She looked gorgeous in her emerald silk dress. "What could be worse than the wind?" The woman accidentally-on-purpose touched her hair, checking if her perfectly arranged locks were still in-place. She smiled at her guests.

"The weather is just horrible," Druella Black confirmed at once, passing a cup to her daughter and pulling on the tippet, which she had dropped on to the couch a few minutes ago, since it had been quite stuffy.

The pale anemic girl with large eyes and golden locks accepted the cup from mother's hands, saying nothing, freezing with it in her hands, not knowing what to do next, not even daring to breathe under Edwin Malfoy's intense stare. The woman was, after all, her future mother-in-law.

Suddenly, cheerful laughter could be heard from the nursery quite clearly, seeing, as it was adjacent to the hall. The girl's blue eyes flashed at once, as they looked at the locked door hungrily.

Narcissa Black had come here just a few hours ago, and even though she had to spend the whole summer in this house, she was already wishing she could run away; the girl did her best not to expose the storm raging inside of herself. Her face, almost as impervious as the other three ladies', was hidden under secular courtesy, her lips neither sad nor merry, thin eyebrows emphasized her smooth clean forehead. The lust for life showing in her eyes was the one thing that Druella and Edwin hadn't completely managed to hide in the marble statue they were molding her as the future Mrs. Malfoy.

"Aren't you scared, darling?" Walburga Black stretched her arm aside lazily, and the deft elf gave her a cup immediately. Mrs. Black was wearing a long, tight, as a glove, black silk dress. Jet-black hair was so smooth and shining, that it looked like it was wet; according to the new fashion, she had arranged her hair like an intricate crown, it could be thought that it was not locks, but snakes, weaved into a tough clew. Cold, but very beautiful, steel-blue-colored eyes looked like bits of glass, glued to the face. The lust for life had disappeared from them a long time ago. "You can see the sea out of your window," she moved a long, shuddering curtain aside. "We, English, are already used to the dampness, but if I were you, I would have already died because of the dread."

Edwin smiled at her future relative.

"How is your husband's health?.."

Another attack of laughter left the nursery, and someone chuckled: "Ts-s-s!"

The house-owner's lips quivered.

"Thank you, he is quite well..."

The children's hollers were heard again, and Edwin moved her head sharply, but refrained from yelling.

She couldn't stand young children, since she believed that it was almost impossible to find creatures who could be more stupid and useless than they were, so she preferred to stay away from them, till they grew up. She made an exception just for one of them. And his sudden appearance left children's probable punishment for naught.

Just as Edwin was about to call the elf to close the door upstairs so the children wouldn't disturb them, the hall's door opened and the elf, who didn't have time to open it, bowed to the floor so that his ears were brushing the floor, when a tall and slim youth walked by him, his silvery-white hair fixed in a ponytail.

"Mother, I just got..." Lucius Malfoy stopped when he saw other women in the room, and, straightening his back, he bowed slowly, his hand touching the rich silver embroidery on his chest. As it usually happened in woman's society, the appearance of a male brought a little discord in the atmosphere. The ladies began to move, swish gowns and smile, gazing at the figure of the young man, vested in silvery-blue loose summer cloak.

Narcissa didn't show any sort of emotions, which her future husband's appearance had brought; but on the inside the storm foamed and hit the walls of the marble statue which she had been formed into so skillfully.

Her hands were shaking so badly that the cup in her hand was knocking against the saucer she was holding under it.

"Lucius!" Druella exclaimed rapturously, unnoticeably taking the cup from her daughter's hands and offering her free hand to the young man. "We are so glad to see you!"

As a dance teacher repeats his pupils' movements when they dance alone, Edwin, watching her son, inclined her head mechanically when Lucius kissed her guest's hand.

"I am glad to see you, madam," Lucius looked at Walburga, who walked away from the window and, shaking hips, gracefully fell into a free armchair, smiling at young Malfoy politely. "You are charming. As usually though, you always are."

Edwin bloomed and looked at Walburga with badly hidden triumph. Her elder son was left far behind Lucius in the art of high-society manners and communication. That boy behaved like the scum on the streets, even though poor Walburga did her best to force some morality upon him.

"Miss Black,"

Not even looking up, Narcissa reached one hand out and endured one short and dry kiss, after which she put her hand on tightly pressed together skinny knees under a turquoise gown.

"Mother..."

He squeezed her shoulders and kissed mother on cheek coldly.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Edwin said in unrecognizably soft voice. "Good morning..." She shook his hand with trepidation. Once in a while forgetting about her daughter, who was born seven years after Lucius and who needed mother much more than the growing up son, Edwin was persistently taking Lucius to every high-society event, dinner, breakfast and supper party, showing off her talented boy to every famous and influential wizard, hoping that they would think of him at the decisive moment. And how many pure-blooded, wellborn girls were bolted through the finest sieve of her attention - and only one had gotten the chance to sit on this sofa today. So she, the perfect one according to Edwin's measure, was sitting there and dying mentally, getting destroyed and turning to the ash, but outwardly staying as beautiful and cold as early April morning.

"We've heard a lot about your achievements at school, Lucius," Walburga said meaningfully, bringing relaxed fingers up to her chin, giving the young man intent, motionless look. "My congratulations. I remember Orion used to be the prefect of Slytherin as well. Your parents can be proud of you."

"Thank you, Bourgie, we are indeed proud," answered Edwin, still holding her son's hands. "This is a great honor."

"I totally agree with you," Druella smiled, showing the gum. "Congratulation, Lucius!" As she said, she slightly squeezed her daughter's ice-cold hand.

Lucius darted a glance at Narcissa unwillingly, but she was too busy looking at the crease in her skirt to look at him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Black."

The official part was over.

Walburga went on talking about the last council meeting of St. Mungo's trustees and an outrageous management, which permitted the medical treatment of muggle born. Druella, peeking at Lucius for the last time, caught up with the others.

Seizing his opportunity, Lucius whispered, bowing to his mother and watching Narcissa readjust an untwisted lock of her hair, "Mother, the mail from Norway was delivered."

"I am a little bit busy, Lucius," Edwin peeked shortly at her interlocutors, who were discussing the Board Trustees' business without her, and then looked back at her son with the slight irritation "Oh, what is there? I hope, they didn't decide to refuse."

"She has been accepted," Lucius uttered, barely managing to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"Wonderful," the woman answered coldly, turning away. Her nostrils flared, her face lit up with an outright joy and she brought up the cup to her lips to hide it.

"Mother..." Lucius moved closer. "Maybe it isn't too late... to change our minds?

Edwin raised her eyebrows indignantly, not even looking at her son. Corners of her lips cut deeper, eyelashes flushed just twice, as if they wanted to flush the words he had said away.

However, that was enough.

Lucius straightened up swiftly and when he spoke again, his tone had no more silk, it was cold and efficient.

"Could I tell her?"

"Why would you want to discuss it at all!" Edwin whispered angrily, looking at him again. Long heavy earrings shook from side to side. "If you must, you must, the end of the subject! That's out of the question."

"Doesn't she have the right..."

"No, and of course that's none of her business," she put a cup aside. "Tell Tobby to pack her things. I will tell her tomorrow."

"And still, mother?" Lucius smiled and put his hand on her shoulder, perfectly aware of what effect a fleeting caress did to his mother. "I really want to impart the news myself."

Edwin pursed her lips, giving him a short glance, full of jealousy.

"Well, let it be like you want, tell her, if you want so," she said finally, turning away and slightly waving her hand. "She is in the nursery. Go."

Sirius was kneeling on a small calico couch, thrusting his chin into prickly clothes and looking out of the window in the darkness, watching over a high cypress, which grew nearby the house. A lightning bolt flew past it a few times, like a stroke, but for some reason it never hit the tree itself. Sirius was sure, that if it did, the tree would begin to burn, the fire would begin and finally his stay at the boring Malfoy's house would make at least some sense. He watched rich-green, tired of the heat leaves tremble, and pictured how he would be the only one who wouldn't panic, how he would find a wand and in some magic way make a large flood - the sea would leave the shore, saturate everything around, and they would look for provisions on boats and rob the houses in the neighborhood...

The boy sighed deeply and brokenly. He was tired of sitting in the same position, but he was sure, that if he were to turn around just for one second, the lightning would strike, and it would strike right into the tree. Also the boy liked to pretend that neither the thunder nor lightning frightened him. Every time the sky above the house broke apart with a deafening crack, Sirius hemmed arrogantly, tossed his head and out of the corner of his eye, he watched a curtain shove and curious scared eyes of some kid look at him.

"Sirius Black, it's your move!" Meda said grumpily, throwing a knocked down figure at him.

They were playing chess, and Sirius was losing for the third time in a row because of his carelessness.

"Huh?.."

The boy shivered and turned away from the window. At that moment, the curtain moved away harshly, and the girl, who was sitting on a windowsill, watched Sirius disappear behind the sofa's back. It seemed she didn't reckon to cope with the storm without him.

"I just have knocked down your rook," Meda informed; after that she bent down and picked the figure up from the floor. It had already revitalized and tried to bite offender's finger, but the girl tossed it on the couch and cast her heavy chestnut braid behind her back. She looked very strong-minded, but not exactly pretty: she had plump, conspicuous red lips, upturned nose, round cheeks and small, but very smart light-brown eyes. "Make a move."

"One more, Bella! One more!"

As Sirius heard Regulus' voice, he covered his ears with his hands swiftly, but it didn't help him not to hear a mouse's squeak; it was running about the cage blindly in a fatuous attempt to escape.

"Wait a second, darling," said Bella with aspiration and drew the animal from the cage with her wand.

Regulus crawled up to a hand-made scaffold and bore his hands against knees, looking at Bellatrix Black - his beautiful, grown-up cousin, who was left with Meda to look after them. She drew the desperately withstanding animal from the cage.

"Sirius, are you playing or not?" Andromeda asked irritatedly, lifting her eyes from the board. It seemed her elder sister and little Regulus' games were getting on her nerves. She noticed that Sirius, who was looking at the animal in the girl's hands with dread, couldn't hear her; she turned around to her sister, "Bella, don't you want to stop?"

"This is no more cruelty in this, than in your chess, sister." Bella said. "Announce the verdict, Regulus," she kissed the black, shrieking mouse and pressed its small body to the board. The knife clanged. The mouse, as if it could feel the death's nearness, began to squeal and try to get out of girl's hands, even though it was pointless.

Regulus laughed; it looked like it was some kind of circus performance for him.

"The accusation: the participation in criminal relation with muggles, breaking the magical statue of secrecy..." Studied words sounded both funny and frightful from lop-eared eight years old boy's lips. "The punishment, imposed by Wizengamot's court: execution!"

The knife fell on the board, cutting the squeak. At first, there was a creepy, oppressive silence, and then, suddenly Regulus started to clap and laugh deafeningly.

Sirius turned. The mouse, which was lying in the puddle of black blood, looked like a toy. At first, he couldn't understand what was lying next to her, and when he realized, he felt sick.

"More, more! Let's execute the next one because it married the muggleborn!"

Andromeda shook her head, looking at the chessboard. Her eyebrows were raised high.

Sirius made a move, not even watching.

A tear fell on the black square, but the boy whipped it off with his finger immediately, sniffed improperly, and wiped his nose with the shirt's sleeve.

As Andromeda saw it, she stood up resolutely and came up to Bellatrix.

"Bella, didn't you hear me? I said - enough!" - Her voice hit the walls. The thunder roared outside the window.

Bellatrix threw her head back, looking up at younger sister's figure, which was looming above her sternly, and rose slowly.

"What's wrong, Meda?" The elder Black shook her head, making ringlets, which reminded of snakes, fall on her white shoulders and high breasts. Regulus stood up, hiding in her skirt. Bella put her sharp-clawed hand on his disheveled head. "We are playing. You are a hindrance to this. Stay out of our way."

"You scare them!" The girl exclaimed, indicating somewhere behind her back.

"Who exactly am I scaring?" Bella inclined her head, and saw Sirius, ready to help his cousin. "This child? Are there really such cowards in our family?"

Sirius flew up from the couch as if this word stung him. The picked up from the floor knife clanked.

"Sirius!" Andromeda run up to him and grabbed his shoulder. Breathing heavily, the boy peeked at her, hesitated for a second and then thrust the weapon in the floor with strength, breaking its handle after all and throwing it somewhere in the corner.

Regulus jumped on his brother, shrieking, since he had broken his favourite weapon, but Sirius simply pushed him, and the boy felt on the floor. Skinny legs in grey shorts and heavy boots flickered in the air.

Bella laughed in a low and deep laughter and bowed, her body pointing in Sirius' direction, which showed her breasts in a deep low-neck dress.

"Merlin, look at him! Not a puppy, but a wolf cub!" She painfully squeezed his face in her hands, dug her nails into his skin and pressed his lips in. Sirius jerked, hitting her hand. He didn't like to be touched. Especially by women who looked like his mother.

"I have always loved wolf cubs..." Bella sighed, straightened up, and stroked Regulus' head, who had already stood up and pressed himself to her, looking at his elderly brother with hatred. "I especially love to run through their guts." she pulled out her wand sharply and Sirius stepped back unwittingly, making the witch giggle with satisfaction.

"Bella, stop it or I will tell mother!" Meda said. Suddenly the thunder roared above the house, and everyone in the room heard a quiet scared scream, which came from the soft, decorated with pillows, covered with curtains windowsill. Bella's reaction to that sound reminded of a hound's on a rustle in bushes, and before anyone could move or say a word, she flew up to the window and grabbed the fabric of the curtain.

"So that's the scared one!" She screamed, opening the curtains jerkily. The girl squeaked and jumped off the windowsill in to the accompaniment of witch's laughter. She was very small, even smaller than Regulus, and standing next to Bella, she reminded of a tall doll. The dark-blue dress, white tights and snow-white hair- it was just like her mother's- put up in a small ponytail over the rest of her hair, only exaggerated the resemblance. Only her eyes were absolutely black and stood out on her white face, like two spots of black paint.

Few locks got out of the hairdo and created a fluffy cloud around the head.

"So, you are afraid of thunder, little Roxanne," Bellatrix said, coming closer and closer to her. "You are scared that the thunderstorm will kill you, Roxy-Doxy?"

"Bellatrix, don't!" Andromeda said severely and tried to grab sister's hand, but she jerked it away, eyes flashing. "Back off, Meda! You'll command in Slytherin, but don't interfere here!" she roared, waving the wand in front of her sister. It thundered again and the children started. The lightning lightened the sisters' faces for a second.

Bella bent down to the scared little girl and whispered companionably "Do you know why thunders strike? Do you?"

The child fell for the tender voice and nodded.

"They lighten the way for the Demon, who is hunting disobedient children..." Roxanne bleached with terror and automatically looked out of the window together with Bellatrix. The sky, absorbed with summer moisture, was black as never, and looked like it was indeed full of demons. "Every time the lightning strikes, somewhere dies the disobedient child." Bellatrix walked around the room and picked up the cage with mice. Roxanne watched her move with scared eyes. "Have you counted how many times the lightning struck tonight?" The girl shook her head, stepping back. Black, miserable, like chinchilla's eyes watered, reddened lips parted, but the girl didn't cry. Bellatrix shook the cage; it made mice hit the rod and squeal so loud, that Roxanne screw up her eyes, flattening herself against the wall.

"Ten!" Bellatrix growled, popping her eyes out. "And they all are here! Dying, bad-behaved children turn into mice!" She informed matter-of-factly and then added in a daunting voice, "and they all get to me. If I were you, I wouldn't turn off the lights tonight, Roxy-doxy!"

Suddenly Sirius shouted furiously and grasped the cage with animals. He had been willing to snap poor creatures out of that loony's hands for a long time.

"What are you doing?!" Bellatrix jerked the cage towards herself, but Sirius didn't let go; he rammed into her and grasped her hand this time, trying to detach her fingers from the cage.

"Let them go!"

"Oh, you, piece of rubbish!

"Let - go!"

"Sirius!"

A bright flare flashed, and a deep cut appeared on the boy's face. The blood spilt on the floor.

"Bella, what are you doing?!" Meda yelled, running up to her sister, but then the door had opened, and everyone froze, turning towards it.

"What is going on?" Lucius asked severely, coming in to the children's room and slamming the door behind him. The grey eyes paused on Bellatrix, and she childishly hid the wand behind her back. "Why is there so much noise?"

Squealing Lucius' name, the little girl raced off and, before anyone could even stop her, she flew over the room and clutched on to his Lucius caught her, but put the girl back on her feet in the second.

"Roxanne, watch how you behave..." He muttered sub-audibly, readjusting her dress.

The second she was back on her feet, Roxanne held on him, burying her face in his robes. "What happened to you?" Lucius asked worriedly. The girl didn't reply, she just stared at Bellatrix with her huge black eyes.

"What have you done, Bella?" The youth asked in an absolutely different voice. The grey eyes shone like two pieces of ice. The witch unclasped her hands defiantly and threw the cage on the floor; the mice squeaked from the pain. "You were told to transfigurate them into something to entertain the children!" Roxanne looked out of the robes' pleats. Her face was cold, but her eyes were burning with inhuman fear. It seemed, Bellatrix' spooky fairy tales had turned into something regular "How many times did I ask you not to frighten her?"

"You have to work over your sister!" As Bella came up to him, Roxanne hid immediately as she approached. "Is it my fault that she is afraid of everything?"

Regulus, as pale as death, rubbed his hand, which didn't hurt anymore, and looked around, seemingly unsure of what to do.

Andromeda squatted next to a heavily-breathing Sirius, cleaning blood of his face. The boy looked at Bellatrix' back, tightened in purple silk, with hatred, and dreamt of a wand...

Malfoy hemmed, peeking at his future sister-in-law.

"If I were her, I would be scared, too. Spending five minutes with you in one room is already an ordeal not for the faint-hearted, Bella"

"The girl can't be such a coward!" Bellatrix looked in his eyes, her voice spilling like honey. "If all Malfoys are cowards like that, should they deserve any attention, Lucius?" She paused. "Anyone's attention?"

His eyes darkened.

"She is scared of thunder and lightning, what kind of wizard will she become?" Bella went on, feeding on his anger. "How will it affect the Malfoys, when people find out that their daughter is afraid of her own shadow?"

The girl, who was huddled up to her brother all that time, suddenly pulled his cloak and screamed, "I am afraid of nothing, do you get this, snake?!"

Bella laughed.

"Roxanne!" Lucius was filled with indignation. Derisively the thunder roared above the house and she burst into tears. Bella snorted.

"I'm not afraid, I'm not, I'm not!" Little Roxanne cried out, pushed Lucius and before anyone could say a word, she ran outside.

"Roxanne!" Lucius hollered, but his voice only hit the closed door. He stepped forward.

"Will you come after her?" Bella asked, and Lucius stopped, looking back.

Grabbing the opportunity, Sirius suddenly picked up the cage with mice from the floor, saving them from the inevitable death and run after the girl, glancing at Bella.

"Hey, stop!"

"Sirius!"

The door slammed for the second time.

"We have to tell parents!" Meda ran up to the door, giving her sister an angry look. "There is a precipice!"

"Yes, Lucius," Bellatrix said, when her sister went out of the room. Lucius didn't react at all, watching little figure in a dress off.

"You can't indulge all those stupid weaknesses. Cravens aren't supposed to be among those who were picked by The Lord and you are aware of it," she pronounced her mentor's name with admiration. Lucius sighed slowly and after an agonizing hesitation, he stepped away from the glass door, rubbing his lips. Bella, who was watching his every move, smiled quite joylessly and said in her usual voice, "I'm glad you understand it."


	2. ***

The fugitive was found in the depth of the park. The girl was sitting in between huge roots that belonged to a high branchy tree, and cried, hugging her dirty knees. It looked like she fell a few times before she made it to the tree.

As she heard Sirius, the girl raised her head, sobbing and sniffing, her nose red.

For some time they were looking at each other in silence, but then girl's lips trembled, she lowered her head onto her knees and started weeping again.

Sirius sat beside her in silence, putting the cage on the grass, reached out one hand and hugged the girl. Roxanne let out a sob and, still not saying a word trustingly nestled up to him, shaking from crying. White hair touched his cheek.

"I feel so sorry for them..." She whispered, weeping bitter tears. "So sorry!"

Sirius frowned, feeling that he was about to weep, but he would rather punch himself than cry in front of the girl.

"Me, too" he said gloomily and pursed his lips.

"They are so small," Roxanne went on. "They did nothing wrong..."

"I wish I had a wand," Sirius said through his teeth, watching mice run inside the cage, not understanding why there was grass in their dark and gloomy world of cupboards and hallways. "Then I would make those mice as big as dragons, so they could gorge themselves on Bella."

He stole a glance at her reaction.

Roxanne raised her head and realized that she was sitting, with the unknown boy's arms around her. She wiped her nose and face and hugged her knees again.

"So, you're Roxanne?" She looked at him for a second and turned away. Maybe, it meant «yes».

Sirius brought his leg up to his chest and put the hand on it.

"What kind of name even is it - _Roxanne?_ " he asked, looking at her.

"There is nothing wrong with my name," she uttered in a low voice, turning to the boy slowly and giving him a killing glare.

"No, really, look at you!" Sirius couldn't stop. "Why is your hair white? Are you so old?"

"Ugh, what a fool you are!" she turned her back to him. Her dress rode up and she pulled it down angrily.

"Oho-ho! Miss Arrogant?" Sirius reached out his hand. "My name is Sirius. Sirius Orion Black."

He had started puberty already, meaning his voice was breaking already, which made his name sound very solid.

Roxanne looked at a reached out dirty palm. Her hands weren't clean either; they were covered in sticky soil. Her mother always scolded her, when she was playing in the garden or on the shore, and slapped on her wrists. She would do the same now, probably...

She squeezed his soft warm fingers gingerly, but as Sirius get hold of her hand, he shook it in a boyish way. He was glad Walburga wasn't here, otherwise he must have kissed it. Sirius hated to kiss girls' hands, he was sure it's stupid.

"Nice to meet you, Roxanne," he said in a grand manner. "Don't mind Bella. She's insane. When she was small, she was locked in the room with dead elves all the time. She treated Meda and Cissa badly."

"Really? In the room with elves?" Roxanne whispered, screwing her face.

"Yes," Sirius confirmed with an air of importance.

The children kept silent, imagining how it would feel to sleep in one room with elves' heads. For normal wizards' offspring the room with dead elves could seem to be very creepy and terrible. They, on the other hand, were used to the fact that there were such doors that you would be afraid to walk by, not even to look inside...

"Why did you bring them?" Roxanne asked finally, looking at mice in the grass. Sirius remembered of the cage and pulled it closer to him.

"I wanna release them. Let them live in your forest," he busied himself with the lock.

"Release? Can we?"

"Of course," Sirius, who was about to open the door, hesitated for a moment and asked reluctantly, "If you want, you can do it."

Roxanne gave him a small smile and opened the small lattice door.

Sirius suppressed the sigh.

He was willing to open the tiny careful lock and watch the animals go out of the cage with caution, become free, but... She is a girl.

Moreover, a blubbered one.

He picked up the most noticeable, snow-white mouse and brought it to his very nose.

"Hey, it looks just like you. As small as you. And white." Sirius almost freaked out when he realized it was so. "I must say, she is quite nice," in a bout of gallantry he almost poked the animal into her nose, but the girl recoiled.

"Are you scared of them?" He asked in surprise. The mouse strived to run away, and he could barely hold it in his hands, catching the warm body with both of his hands.

"No!" The girl pressed her back to the tree. "I am not!" She hesitated for a moment. "Is it true that they get to people's beds at night and bite their noses and ears off?"

"What?!" Sirius protested. "Are you mad? The mice are kind wizards, who were locked in the Underworld by moles hundreds of years ago!"

The girl raised her eyebrow, looking at him as if he was insane.

"Yes, and since then they live in the Underworld and fight the moles and snakes." He said seriously. "They have been fighting since moles had stolen the youngest daughter of Penelope Hufflepuff. The students of Hogwarts found it out and decided to help her. They all became animaguses, turned into mice and went to the Underworld to save Cornelia Hufflepuff from the evilest mole of all."

Roxanne smiled. Sirius peeked at her quickly and then went on, "So, when the students finally got to Cornelia, the winter had come and they almost froze underground. They were living underground, digging burrows, and almost died from hunger. When they found Cornelia, they could turn back to people and were happy to go home. However, the moles were sly, they pretended to let the prisoner go and gave her magic seeds and corn from their huge supply, which Cornelia passed to the Hogwarts' kitchen. The students turned into badgers and this time for good. Cornelia found that out and made a decision to stay underground with everyone, who sacrificed everything to her. She turned into a badger as well, gathered together every underworld citizen and together they deposed the moles. But, despite the win, it was a huge loss for the Hogwarts. Since then there is a badger on Hufflepuff's arms."

The mice scattered. Roxanne, who had heard the story out, was opening and closing the door of now empty cage.

Sirius gave a twitch at snow-white strand of hair; frankly speaking, he wanted to touch her hair for a long time to find out what it is like to the touch. Roxanne glanced at him.

"Will you be scared of mice now, little Rox?"

She raised her big black, as chinchilla's, eyes.

"I think I won't..."

"Bella is wicked. And, as every wicked wizard, she is afraid of the truth. That's the reason she lies. Never trust her."

She didn't reply. Sirius couldn't help pulling her soft lock once again.

"Hey, little Rox!"

She looked at him frowning, grooming her hair.

"What?"

"Let's run away!"

"Your mom is Aunt Druella?"

They were wandering in the forest.

The middle of the summer rustled around them with deep rich greenery, and two pale children in dark clothes looked like china dolls lost in the grass.

At the very beginning of their journey Sirius took Roxanne's hand and, to his surprise, she didn't mind.

Even more, she intertwined their fingers into a firm lock.

And her palm was dry and warm, which made it twice better.

"My mother is Walburga," Sirius answered unwillingly.

"Does she love you?"

Sirius hesitated. Even though the question was easy, he could not find the answer.

"Well... sometimes I think that she does," he answered after a moment's consideration.

Roxanne turned away, staring ahead and biting her lips.

Sirius was silent too, glancing at her surreptitiously.

"What about yours?" He asked finally.

Roxanne looked in his eyes and shook her head, pursing her lips.

"Does she punish you?" Sirius asked quietly.

"All the time," she answered sadly. "Every evening elves tell mom what I have done and if she doesn't like something, she punishes me."

"All the moms are the same," the boy noticed.

"Meda is never punished," Roxanne said in a sad voice and shrugged.

"But Aunt Dru is very kind, she loves everyone," Sirius swung their intertwined hands back and forth. "I told her once that I wanted a snitch. She gave me a dog for my birthday and said that his name is Snitch."

"You have a dog?!" The girl exclaimed in a delighted voice.

"No," Sirius snapped out. Roxanne felt his fingers squeeze and decided not to ask.

"If you are Black, then we are relatives and you are my brother," Roxanne said firmly and then asked swiftly, "You are my brother, aren't you?"

"No, but I might become."

"What do you mean?" The girl frowned.

"When your brother marries my cousin..." Suddenly she stopped and Sirius stopped as well. "Didn't you know?"

Roxanne pulled her hand out of his palm, looking at him with her black eyes. Everything became darker. Humid air turned thicker. Just for a moment, everything froze, listening carefully to the mysterious sky's roar, and in one second the huge purple mass above the town cracked and a wall of warm noisy summer downpour began.

The children stopped under the oak, which was so big, that a house could be hidden under it, and just a few drops got to them.

"You are wrong." Roxanne said firmly. "Lucius will never get married." She shook her head, her lips' corners twitching both in scared and mocking way. "No."

"Not now, of course, he is too small," «grown-up» Sirius said, putting his hands in pockets. It was his favourite habit and his mother often slapped his wrists for it. "In a few years. Why do you think they bring our Narcissa?"

It made everything inside the poor girl turn over.

"Nar... Narcissa? This Narcissa?"

"Yeah, do you know any other Narcissa?" Sirius smirked. Roxanne suddenly pushed him.

"Hey, what's up?" Sirius asked, stepping back and suppressed the instinctive wish to push her back.

"Lucius won't marry her, do you get it?!" She even stamped her foot. "Never, do you understand me?!"

Sirius was totally taken aback.

"What's wrong with you?" He tried to take her hand, but Roxanne pushed him again and bore her elbows against the tree, crying for the second time in a day. "What did I say?" Sirius protested, coming around and trying to look at her face, but she was turning away every time.

"For how long are you going to cry? What is even wrong?"

"Lucius won't get married, he won't!" Roxanne repeated pathetically, smearing the tears on her face. The burning soreness rose inside of her, and tears only cultivated her so much that she was couldn't stop. She felt horribly screwed. The closest person, the only one, who cares about her, the one she trusts, decided to leave her, go away and live separated from her! And he didn't even say anything!

"Everyone gets married!" Sirius made a helpless gesture, trying so hard to look in her eyes. "You can't do anything about it!"

"No!" The girl snapped on him evilly. "I will never get married!"

"Me, too," Sirius murmured in reply, scratching his head. "Although my mother will make me. Hey, stop crying!" He wasn't sure what to do, so he bumped her shoulder a little. "He will love you more anyway!"

Roxanne stopped wheeling and was just sobbing for some time, baring her head against the tree; after that she looked at Sirius, pressing her fingers to wet lips.

"Will he?" She asked in such voice, as if her life depended on Sirius' reply.

Sirius nodded.

When they got to the precipice, the rain had stopped. The dark clouds spread over the peach, creamy-rose sky, becoming harmless melting clouds. The sky and the sea flowed in a white haze and it seemed they exchanged their places.

At the very precipice, the children found a fallen because of the lightening tree; the treetop was hanging in air, and the rest of the plant, which was growing for much more than ten years there, was lying on the ground. A huge trunk pressed little trees on its way down to the ground. The precipice had a low grade and it seemed that the tree would roll down at any moment.

Sirius sat on the place where the tree had broken and squinted happily, letting the salty sea wind blow on his face.

Roxanne climbed on the silver stem as well. The sun, which looked like a small ignescent ruby, was slowly coming out of clouds.

Seeing this beauty, Roxanne was thinking about thousands of things at once, but all her thoughts came back to the one, that if she hadn't run away, she could have get into warm bed after delicious rye pancakes with strawberry jam and wait for Lucius to come and chat with her or read, sitting at her table. The moment she thought about it, her heart died within her - soon enough he will stop coming to her and will read with his wife instead.

«If I fall from the precipice, they all will feel ashamed... I will be lying dead and Lucius will cry...»

The trunk hummed beneath her - Sirius leapt off his nest and sat beside her.

"You know what?"

"What?" She asked, swinging her feet in air.

"I got letter from Hogwarts."

Roxanne looked at his shining face and tried to imagine how it would feel to get a letter from the school where Lucius was studying...

"Only thirty days and I will leave," he smacked the tree. "Roll on! I can't wait. But... Probably I will go to Slytherin. Everyone from my family was studying in Slytherin."

Roxanne remembered all those years of Lucius studying far away from home, when she craved to be next to him, in this Slytherin. Mother would be proud of her... probably.

"But the thing is, I don't want to go to these freaks. It'd be cool to get to Gryffindor, all the cool wizards were here. Did you get your letter?"

The girl shook her head, still swinging her feet in the air.

"How so?" Sirius wondered. "How old are you?"

"Mother says it is impolite to ask women about such things," she noticed arrogantly, but then immediately added, "Ten."

"Then we'll go together, "Sirius smiled, but Roxanne turned away from him, and the boy's smile dissapeared.

"What's wrong?"

"Lucius says that Hogwarts is a bad school," she grumbled. "He says, they let one and all go there."

"Is it a bad thing?" Sirius asked gloomily.

After a small pause, Roxanne shrugged and turned back to him. The wind had tumbled her white, like snow, hair and threw it on her face, so only her eyes were visible.

"I don't know."

"Where will you study then, if not in Hogwarts?"

"Mother says there is a good school in Norway."

"But it's so far away! It's..." Sirius was bad at geography. "At the other end of the world."

"Is it?" The girl became sad. "Hopefully, they won't accept me."

They fell silent. The sun, touching the water, slopped the melted gold on the sea. The sky cleaned up and plunged into the water, becoming as spacious as the sea underneath it. The aroma of grass, wild flowers and sea greeted them. Maybe, this is how the world looked like when there were no people. The sky, the water and the palpitation of grass, which will turn into trees someday and fall, defeated by lightning.

Sirius felt the girl's head resting on his shoulder.

"Will you write to me?" She asked, looking at seagulls, which were whirling up to the horizon. As the girl found boy's hand, she squeezed it in already usual lock. Sirius felt an odd flutter. At the same time, he wanted to withdraw his hand... and hold it like this forever.

"Will you, Sirius?"

For the first time she said his name out-loud.

Sirius turned his head and accidentally touched her forehead with his nose. Her skin was delicate and mat. One tiny tint mole on her cheek. Snow-white tumbled hair reminded of kinks of cream.

The boy felt how his heart suddenly became heavier and rushed somewhere, making him lose his breath.

Suddenly for himself he leaned forward, closed his eyes and kissed girl's red, like wild strawberry, lips. Everything inside of him flinched, painfully and lusciously, shriveled, leapt...

He froze for a moment, feeling warmth in a couple of millimeters from his face, and kissed her again, slightly pressing her lower lip. He had never done anything like this, hence he wasn't sure he was doing it right, but it feltvery good...

His head reeled, as if he fell into the sea...

Sirius drew back, looking at the girl curiously and willing to know what she had felt.

Roxanne's eyelashes trembled, she opened her odd, sleepy eyes and absently touched her lips, peeking at Sirius.

It seemed she wasn't going to cry or run away, though.

Sirius felt a pull inside of him wanting to kiss her again, so he closed his eyes, trustingly drawing closer to Roxanne, and went pitapat, when she kissed him back.

... They were found, when the sun had set and it was cold and damp.

Roxanne was found by Lucius, Sirius - by his mother.

They led them home separately, not letting to say a word to each other.

The next morning Roxanne went to Durmstrang, and he, plunging into pre-school vanity, couldn't remember her name and, as time went on, he forgot what she looked like and soon after he was telling, that he kissed for the first time, sitting above an abyss...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for the Chapter:
> 
> Rockabye Baby – Where Is My Mind  
> Pierre Van Dormael – Nemo&Anna
> 
> Visit my Tumblr for the DM cast, questions and delicious things :)  
> http://maria-ch.tumblr.com/
> 
> My cast  
> http://seedmcast.tumblr.com/


	3. Importance of not being Black

#### ... July 31, 1976...

Loud music bloated the house from the inside, pushing out of the beautiful mosaic windows, hitting the roof. It didn't even sound like music. It seemed that the house was shrieking, howling in pain.

Sirius waved his wand sharply and the upright with house elves' heads smashed up. One more wave and the painting of a distinguished ancestor turned into a charred spot on the wall.

"One more blot on your reputation, mother!" Sirius yelled and raised a bottle of expensive whiskey high. Most of it poured into his mouth, and the rest got onto his shirt and under the collar. Disgusting. Not finishing drinking, he threw the bottle in his mother's bedroom door and shards of thick glass scattered in the corridor.

"Cheers to you!" he grumbled, interfering with the music, inhaled his cigarette deeply and stewed it on the closest portrait. The man pictured there yelled and ran away. "To hell with you!" Black cried in pursuit.

This morning, looking for money in his mother's table, he had found a letter, with the address«To Sirius Orion Black». The unsealed envelope was lying in the pile of old family trash. The paper was covered with blots, some little notes for the future, it was stamped with stain circles from a coffee cup. Without hesitation, he opened the envelope. As he read the first paragraph, he found out that his beloved uncle Alfard had deceased at the begging of spring from the spike of a Venomous Tentacula. Sirius had no time to digest what he had read when he saw that his uncle left him the first Black mansion, the bank account with a six-digit number and a small winery. In his letter, Alfard (the familiar handwriting made Sirius's chest burn) expressed his hope that Walburga Black, who had decided long ago that her younger son will inherit everything she had after her death, would not refuse her childless lonely brother in his last wish to secure his favourite nephew...

After reading his uncle's letter, Sirius had started packing his stuff to move in the new house. Looking for Kreacher, who hadn't responded to his call, he had gone down to the living room and seen that instead of uncle Alfard's name there was an ugly charred spot on the ancient linen...

And when Sirius had found the second spot, looking exactly like the one next to it, he had thought that he was seeing double from the shock: Andromeda's name, who had married a muggle-born wizard Ted Tonks and given birth to a daughter from him, disappeared from mother's Gobelin as well.

At first he had the urge to strip the family relic off the wall and tear it in a million tiny pieces. But then Sirius had realised that it wouldn't relieve his pain, and so he decided to destroy the whole house - from the roof to the ground.

Sirius danced down the stairs and bumped into the wall. He was too lazy to go on.

Jumping over the second floor fencing, he landed on the floor with the din; then he raised both of his hands and passionately played a solo on an invisible guitar. Grabbing his wand, he turned around dashingly and his hand thrust forward. The spell flew through the hall and the living room and, with a rustle, tore up a beautiful carved door from the wooden bar nearby the fireplace. Smooth sides of bottles hidden in the bar glimmered. Sirius threw up his fist triumphantly, jumped up and danced his way to the living room. The crystal candelabrum watched him suspiciously with its every bead and shivering cowardly, when the loud music collapsed from above.

The youth stretched out his hands widely and greeted the new song with the stream of happy cursing. The drunken spell, breaking loose from the wand by accident, turned out so powerful that windows in the living room burst, letting the demons in Sirius' house free.

Grabbing any old bottle, Sirius banged its neck, brought the dangerously broken glass to his mouth and, swallowing the wine, came close to the Gobelin. The black spots stung him as if Walburga had scorched them not on the cloth, but right on his heart.

Taking the last big gulp, which had dried up the painful burning a bit, he thrust his forehead against the prickly stinking cloth and closed his eyes tightly. This Gobelin - his very first memory. The dim, fuzzy and unbelievably distant one.

_«He is about three years old. This Gobelin is his first memory. His mother holds his hand, she smells really good, and she's very warm. She raises her free hand and points to the picture of a dark-haired boy. "It's you, Sirius," she says and he trustingly puts a small palm on the cloth next to her palm...»_

Sirius touched the Gobelin in this place, but jerked his hand away at once, as if it burned him, stepped back and rammed into the bar. The bottles clinked pitifully.

Sirius turned to the sound, jerkily took a heavy, dusty bottle and, looking at the Gobelin, declaimed, "The collection «Sibilla Wein»,1891!" Suddenly he skipped forward, and with great force flung the bottle to the wall. It was smashed into smithereens; dark, almost black wine spattered on the Cambridge blue silken sofa, which Kreacher was scared to touch with his feather duster, and the glass scattered around and above.

"«Grizelda», year 1910!" Sirius threw the next bottle in the air and exploded it with a spell.

Like a small firework of glass and wine.

Sirius smiled, staggered drunkenly and gripped the bar's lid so he didn't fall.

The Black's wine collection was becoming poorer and poorer with every bottle.

Pretty soon all the furniture was covered with streaks of very rare wine, which had survived one wizard war. The sunset was pouring in the windows, and spalls shone in thick honey beams. Breaking one more bottle groggily on a table with a lamp and flowers, Sirius felt like as if long venomous thorns were pulling out of him.

"Fucking «Antipatra», 1470! Father had brought from Athens…on your birthday, old Alfard!" He cut off a bottle cap together with its neck, rose high above the bottle, from which rare wine gushed, and put his mouth under the flow; after that he slammed the bottle to the floor with great strength. Kreacher's snout appeared in the doorway but at once disappeared.

Wiping his lips and roaring something inarticulate, Sirius started to sing along to his favourite band at the top of his voice, jumping up chaotically, whirling and breaking something with his every hand's wave. Black's blood, set on fire with anger and alcohol, rushed to his head.

Sirius pulled down heavy dusty curtains together with their rod. Then he tore them with his bare hands and generously poured collection whiskey on the pieces. Waving his wand, he made plump comfy sofas explode, spewing out old smelly stuffing, he slashed the walls with magic blade, with a rustle he stripped off grey wooden panels, rags of silken dark blue upholstery, under which he found concrete and spiders. He was tearing, crashing, breaking china and glass, the music was roaring, the house was yelling, and his blood was going wild, demanding to rant and rave, break, destroy!

Making a cupboard, full of old family rubbish from silver and crystal, fall, he jumped on it and raised his wand, aiming to the old Gobelin.

_"Finite."_

The music stopped.

Sirius lowered his wand slowly, smirked and finally turned his head, losing his breath from choking on revengeful satisfaction.

Walburga, dressed in fully fastened silken purple cloak and small hat, was standing in a doorway, her hands in leather gloves on her stomach, watching her son carefully. Her eyes were glassy, like water drops. Thin, cigarette paper-like skin was covering bulging cheekbones, first wrinkles appeared around eyes and mouth. Meeting her elder son's gaze, she narrowed her eyes. Long lips, painted deep red with lipstick, contracted in a thin line.

Sirius jumped up from the chair and staggered drunkenly, treading upon wine bottle shreds. The floor swayed beneath him, like a ship's deck. Maybe he did drink too much…

"Good afternoon…" he said. Smiling impudently and looking straight into his mother's eyes, he picked up the medieval Gobelin and with his bare hands he tore it in two parts, throwing it to his feet. "…Mother," he hiccupped.

Regulus ran in the room, panting.

"Mother, Kreacher didn't lie, the whole library…" The boy froze, staring at his dead-drunk brother and the mess made by him, "...is destroyed... What did..."

Sirius saluted him, as if he was saying  «You’re welcome», and smirked wryly.

Walburga didn't react to the news and was plainly standing there, like an ice statue, looking somewhere through Sirius, like as something had been written on the wall behind him, something much more interesting than Sirius himself.

"Sirius…what…what the hell are you doing?!" Recollecting himself, Regulus ran towards him angrily, but Sirius slightly twisted his hand behind his back and pushed him forward, so that Regulus took a few clumsy steps and fell on the lying armchair.

Walburga raised her head, blinking a veil away from her eyes. Sirius could see anger grow inside of her black soul, and enjoyed it, feeding on her fury and boiling in response.

"Come here," she commanded suddenly.

Sirius planted his feet wider, trying to stay still on the deck.

Regulus came closer to Mother, rubbing his shoulder, and accidentally-on-purpose stepped behind her, hiding behind her back.

Turning away pointedly as the deck swung to the right, Sirius took the last trophy from the bar, opened and turned over the bottle, pouring the wine on the torn-open couch's upholstery.

"Did you say something?" he asked, feeling more sober now. "How are you, mom? Don't you wanna tell how the wedding went?"

"Come. To me. Now." Walburga said insinuatingly. Taking her gloves off, she slapped them to Regulus' chest and he caught them obediently.

Sirius threw the bottle aside and it shattered, this time louder and clearer than all the previous.

"So you don't want to tell me. Then let's talk about something different. When was Uncle Alfard buried?" Sirius' hands drifted into pockets and he began to walk around the room. His gaze wandered the walls lazily. They looked like as if a huge cat had sharpened its claws on them. Cool. "Didn't you tell me, because you knew how much I loved him? Out of pity?" He stopped and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Why not, mom?"

"That's the only reason for you deciding to destroy our house?" Regulus was filled with indignation.

"Shut up, Reg!" Sirius snapped at him.

"Out of pity," Walburga answered finally.

"Did you burn out Andromeda out of fucking pity too?!" Sirius cried out and jerked his hand in the Gobelin's direction so hard that he almost dislocated his shoulder. "Or because she married for love and not status like you?!"

Walburga blinked, as if he had thrown sand in her eyes.

"How dare you, you… bastard?" she whispered, her lips twitching in an unattractive way.

"If I am a bastard..." Sirius smirked and turned his head, looking at the woman in a dour way. "Then let me ask, who are you, madam?" And he bowed low.

"You bloody rotter!" Walburga whipped up her wand, but Sirius was defter and raised his wand first.

Walburga laughed in an unpleasant way. The laughter was born somewhere deep in her covered in fabric-covered chest and was escaping it in nervous evil pieces.

"What're you going to do, boy?" she asked, lowering her wand. She smiled, slowly showing her teeth - it seemed she wanted to plunge them into his arm. "What?"

"Tell me, would you do the same to me?" Sirius asked quietly, feeling the tears coming on his eyes from ager. "Or would you just kill me?"

 _«_ _This dog is mine, mine! - I don't need dirt in the house! - Mom, please, please, I will do anything you want, just don't! - Avada Kedavra!_ _»_

"Uncle Alfard was like a dad to me! He was the only one who loved me in this bloody family!"

 _«_ _I like Gryffindor! I have friends there! - steps, up, up. The knock of heels from behind his back. Need to hide now. Need to finish talking as well. - They love me there! I won't leave Hogwarts! If you take me away, I... I will kill myself- The door. Mother's furious face. - How dare you threaten me, shameless rotter?! - a slap in the face. - I hate you all! - silence. -You hate?... CRUCIO!_ _»_

"Now everything is fair. You had broken my life, I broke yours. We are even," he turned away, intending to leave.

"Stay where you are, reprobate!" Walburga shouted suddenly and Sirius stopped, running into these words like onto a knife.

 _«_ _What? Reprobate?_ _»_

He turned, hoping it wasn't said to him.

 _«_ _Me, mother?_ _»_

"I order you to come here!" Walburga said with a trembling voice, pointing at a place on the floor near her feet with her wand.

Sirius felt everything inside of him rise, meaning to step forward, but he only squeezed his wand more firmly and stood his ground. A lump rose in his throat.

"Come here!"

He didn't move.

Regulus watched him with dread, seizing the doorjamb with his small child’s hands. Some noise could be heard from the corridor; Kreacher was in the archway.

The woman's glassy cold eyes were filled with tears, but Sirius didn't even hope she was crying because of him.

"I am your mother, ungrateful bastard! I am your mother! Apologise to me immediately!"

"You call yourself my mother?" Sirius asked almost inaudibly. Her expression changed at once. Regulus, sighing, stepped back. "Isn't that title too big for giving me a place in your womb?"

Walburga flicked her wand suddenly. Sirius reacted to the whiz at once-usually there was pain afterwards and blocked the curse.

They sank into silence.

Sirius felt a thin thread, which had been his connection with this place and this woman, was tearing apart.

Looking in her eye with both disappointment and disgust, Sirius lowered his wand, made a step backwards, then one more, then he simply turned away and left swiftly.

Walburga grabbed a vase, which had stayed untouched for some reason, and threw it after him, but missed, and vase shattered, crashing into wall.

Sirius run off the porch and rushed to the back yard headlong, the shriek was chasing him, "YOU ARE NOT MY SON ANYMORE!"

He slammed the gate so hard, that it closed, broke loose and opened again. Unable to breathe because of how furious he was, Sirius didn't know what he was doing. He had no clothes, no money, he had only time to grab the jacket from the chair in the kitchen. He didn't know what he would do next, but he was sure that he would no longer stay at this house.

Striding to the empty road, he suddenly pulled off James' invisibility cloak off the motorbike. Absolutely non-magic, but interweaving chromium details flashed brightly in the beams of the flared up sunset.

Crumpling the cloak, Sirius looked at windows defiantly.

On the second floor he saw a short figure.

"Let’s hope I will break my crown!" he yelled and took his iron horse, loosing its pillion kickstand. "For once I will make your dreams come true!" He saddled up the motorbike and jerkily turned the crank. The engine roared, tearing the amazing melting summer day's silence into million pieces. The figure on second floor moved and then disappeared from his field of vision.

Tears had pressed his throat, but Sirius would rather rip his hand or leg off than let himself cry, so, wasting no time, he shoved off and set off for the only person he had left.

For James Potter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit my Tumblr for the DM cast, questions and delicious things :)  
> http://maria-ch.tumblr.com/
> 
> My cast  
> http://seedmcast.tumblr.com/


	4. Bad Boy

####  **…July 31, 1977…**

One girl was wearing a short denim skirt and a tight-fitting tank top. Another one - light dress, which the wind would blow under every now and then…

The red cabriolet, on which they came to the gas station, was shining impatiently in sun-set light, like a big toy, while its owners were hanging out near fast-food window, chewing soda straws and giggling, giving the youth near the station hot, inviting glances.

The song was rolling out from a café window,

_"I broke a thousand hearts_

_Before I met you_

_I'll break a thousand more, baby_

_Before I am through"_

At first Sirius pretended he didn't notice, but every now and then he peeked at girls from beneath his fringe, smirking. He was sitting on his iron beast, while it was feeding, and tapping his foot to the song, playing with his keys.

_"I make a rich woman beg_

_I'll make a good woman steal_

_I'll make an old woman blush_

_And make a young girl squeal"_

Sirius took a bite from his hot sandwich and raised his head, throwing his long black hair back.

The blondie looked back at him nervously, when her friend whispered something in her ear, and Sirius winked at her.

Jackpot.

She blushed.

Embarrassed blondie in a mini skirt.

Exactly what he needs.

Joy to his eyes. If he had not promised to come to the Potter's before darkness, he could have spent the night with both of them and it would be joy not only for eyes.

Lonely and long-legged fun-seekers on the big road. What else can you wish for, when you are seventeen years old and unsteady?

_"Bad to the bone_

_B-B-B-B-Bad_

_B-B-B-Bad_

_B-B-B-Bad_

_Bad to the bone"*_

He looked back at the station, checked if the tank was full, and looked away again, ticking the rhythm with his foot to the new song wafting from the café's open doors.

Currant summer twilight was dying into dark. Afternoon heat was dissolving from burning hot asphalt, mixing with the smell of grass, which was running riot for miles around the gas station.

That night the most respectable representatives of the road kingdom - commercial vans and trucks - gathered on petrol watering. Leaving their motorhomes, constant wanderers (heavyset, broad-shouldered drivers in stained denim overalls and shirts) crowded near the small roadside cafe's window, sending around a loud mixture of strong language and laughter. Their voices, like the rolling song of an unseen bird, the scent of cheap pastry, wild grass in the fields, and hot rubber had a calming effect on the youth.

Sirius crumpled the batch from patty and threw it in a trashcan. The girls were whispering now and pushing each other; it was obvious there were deciding who should go to him and strike up an acquaintance, but Sirius had lost interest in them.

It's been a year since he left home.

A whole year.

And during the whole year, his mother didn't show any interest in him.

As if he had died.

Although, he might have for her.

Sirius couldn't say that he missed her, his wimpy father, or his idiot brother, who had been avoiding him in Hogwarts like a leper, that much…

However, in spite of all the bitterness, which his memories about childhood were soaked with, he felt longing for his old home.

He sort of left a little of him there, in this creepy, but still dear place and now felt guilty and sorry for not being able to come back for himself…

And…at the end of the day, no matter how strong and independent one is, it hurts to know that one's own mother doesn't need him...

####  **...1976...**

_«James walks out of the home and examines the dark street with distrust, probably he heard a noise from an engine. He's wearing a light-grey sweater, sleeves rolled up, and Muggle jeans. Usually, at first it's kind of strange to see one's best friend in something that is not long school robes. But then he ruffles his hair, frowns wonderingly, and it's the same old James._

_It seems he decides that he is only hearing things, and he's turning to go home. Sirius jumps off the motorbike. He is still groggy because of the amount of alcohol he's drunk and endured shock; it's a miracle, that he in this condition has made his way without bumping into a house or water-tower._

_Jerkily opening the gate, he comes in the familiar garden._

_When James sees who came, he smiles widely, jumps off the porch and runs toward him._

_"What good wind brings you here, Padfoot?" his voice rings. Only the voice of person who wasn't called "reprobate" by his mother rings like this._

_Sirius comes toward him, not raising his head, and flies up with arms outstretched with such a great force that Prongs almost falls._

_"Hey, I am glad to see you too," he says in surprise, patting his friend on the back. "But maybe we should stay a friends? What's up?" he asks, pushing Sirius back and holding him away by the shoulder._

_"I ran away from home, James…" Sirius says dully, setting his teeth, blinking so hard that purple circles begin floating in his eyes. "I ran away, see?"_

_The smile dies on James' lips._

_"What?" he asks, peering at Sirius. Warmth in his eyes freezes and darkens. The hand on Sirius' shoulder tenses._

_Sirius looks up. Only James is allowed to see him like this._

_"I can stay at your place, until I am back on my feet?" he growls, and, not blinking, looks James in the eye through blurred dim-out. "Just for a couple of days… and then I'll fuck off."_

_"Are you an idiot, Padfoot?" James asks quietly, grabbing Sirius' neck and pulling him up to his eyes with such force it hurts, bumps their foreheads, and jerkily pushes him away. "You'd better not! My mom won't forgive you, she has already has me fed up with questions about. Dry your tears, buddy and let's go," he taps his shoulder. "It's dinner time…"»_

Something slopped loudly.

Sirius jumped. He had sunk so deeply into a reverie that he completely forgot about the petrol station. The tank was filled up, the abundance of petrol spilled outwards and pushed out the fuelling nozzle, besmearing the motorbike.

Sirius placed the nozzle back, wiped his dirty hands on his pants, took out a cloth, and wiped clean the image of claw hands on his treasure's iron side.

Today is a great day.

Today he and James are flying to the most significant event in this season - there is the first full concert of a new rock-band, The Weird Sisters, which has the number one song on magic radio-charts for the last year, in the famous Caledonian Forest in Scotland.

Everyone was talking about this concert for last few months in Hogwarts. It seemed anyone stopped in corridors and asked about The Weird Sisters would answer with great pleasure to every question: how many people are there in the band, when have each of them started playing, how has their music developed, how had Myron Wagtail turned into a vampire, what hair spray did Donaghan Tremlett uses, what is Gideon Crumb's favourite food.

According to the advertising campaign, it might be something unbelievingly vast, and missing such event would be equal missing the Quidditch World Cup.

If you didn't go, you may as well not go to school at all.

Taking out Muggle money, Sirius paid for petrol and, looking forward to delightful and long flight above England falling asleep, turned the handle.

The motorbike roared with satiety.

A girl in blue jeans and denim jacket, who was buying a bun, cried out, scared by sudden roar, and dropped her food. Sirius raised his head, throwing hair back from his face.

"Alice Wood?!" he exclaimed with assumed disbelief and swiftly shut down the engine. The girl turned to him. She had a round, not exactly pretty, but unbelievably sweet and tender face. Her kind brown eyes were full of tiredness. When she saw the youth sitting on bike in a black leather jacket, she looked confused for a moment, but as soon as Sirius brushed his hair back in a practiced motion and took off his sunglasses, her face lit up with wide smile.

"Sirius Black?!" she imitated his exclamation, slapping her leg. Sirius threw his arms wide, inviting her for a hug, smiling. Alice bit her lower lip and flew into his arms.

"Merlin, you look better and better every day!" Sirius said, unclasping their arms, and kissed the girl on cheek. "What's happened to you, baby?"

Alice smiled sheepishly; it created two adorable dimples on her cheeks as she touched her short-cut fair hair. Sirius rolled eyes, letting her know that she dazzles him.

"Does it suit me?"

"You're stunning. How could I be so unforgivably blind?!" He pressed her palm to his chest, sighing dramatically. "I'll never forgive myself for letting you go, my queen, I don't deserve it…" He looked at her with his big grey eyes soulfully.

"Stop doing that, Black! You are already dazzling enough," Alice said, nodding, and busily put one of her arms on the handle bar and the other one on Sirius' shoulder. "So, is this your famous horse? Did you really put it together?"

"Yes," Sirius fondly stroked chromed handles. "My biggest love. I would never give it up for anyone. Even for you," he added, throwing back his head and giving her a sparkling glance.

"O-oh, what a rivalry!" Alice rolled her eyes, pulling back his head from her face. Sirius smiled good-naturedly.

"So, is it true? Can I congratulate you, milady?" He hugged her waist and pulled her closer, busily putting out her left hand. "Soon enough you will become…" he paused on the world dramatically. Alice smiled, slightly shaking her head. "Mrs. Longbottom?" Sirius frowned pitifully.

"Yes, you're right," Alice freed her hand and put the palm on her shoulder. "Next summer I marry Frank. That's right, Sirius." She clapped him on the shoulder.

"And what about me?" he moaned, nestling his forehead against hers. The girl screwed up her eyes for a second, but when he raised his head, she smiled at once. "Gee, I am jealous of Frank Longbottom for the first time in my life," said Sirius. "Merlin, did I said that out-loud?" He shook his head blatantly.

"You are impossible!" Alice slightly slapped his back. "By the way, we were friends with Frank for ages!"

"Friends!" Sirius cried out. "For Merlin's sake…" he rubbed his lips, wiping off the smile, and gave the girl pixyish look. "But… you'll be apart from each other for the whole year," his voice deepened, got filled with honey. "Anything can happen…" Sirius pulled Alice-almost-Longbottom closer, friskily reaching out for her lips, and a small palm rammed into his face, in the way that Sirius' aristocratic nose ended up in between middle and ring fingers, which had a warningly shining tiny diamond on it.

"Nothing can!" the girl snapped, but then smiled tenderly. "Don't you even think about it, Sirius Black!"

Sirius removed her hand from his face and flashed a cheerful and gracious smile at the girl. Alice felt her heart skip a beat painfully.

"Okay, now I understand. I am cursed. I am all alone, and Frank Lobgbottom gets the prettiest girls of all. It's unfair. Sirius Black is, as usual, left behind."

"Oi, really?"

"Well, okay, not as usual," Sirius agreed easily and added, after thinking for a moment, "and, maybe, not the prettiest."

Alice slapped the back of his head airily, but Sirius only chuckled cheerfully.

"Okay-okay, I'll shut up. You are the best, my lady." He let her go and grabbed the handlebars with both of his hands. "So what are you doing in this middle of nowhere?" Sirius ranged eyes round the gas station. "Is there a knitting club nearby?"

"I'm waiting for the Knight Bus." Alice anxiously peeked at her watch and then at the empty road. "It should have been here forty minutes ago. At least, the time schedule in 'Leaky Cauldron' said that. I can't think wh…"

"Why would you need that piece of rubbish on wheels?" Sirius couldn't help but cast a proud glance at his motorbike. "Where are you going?"

Alice dug in the variegated knitted bag on her belt and extracted a colourful flyer. Sirius whistled, looking at a moving picture.

"The Weird Sisters! Gee, all roads lead to heaven!" He turned the twist grip throttle, and the motorbike roared happily. A few people at the gas station turned at the loud noise, but Sirius and Alice didn't notice it.

"Are you going there, too?" Alice sounded happy, closing her bag.

"Of course, baby! The biggest event of the season!" Sirius raised his eyebrow. "So why are you going all alone? What about Mr. Longbottom?"

"Lily Evans lives nearby, we're going together."

"I can give you a little lift." Sirius offered. "It's on my way anyway. I am going to Ipswich to James," he explained.

"Really?" Alice was so glad, she even clapped her hands. "Gosh, Black, thank you, I thought I would spend the night here! You are wonderful!"

"Of course I am," Sirius smiled enchantingly and invitingly nodded, dropping the footrest with his heel. "Jump in, babe! I will get you there in no ti…"

"Hey, just look at this doll!"

Someone whistled. Alice nearly jumped out of her skin and turned. One of the drivers, standing next to the bright yellow window, was speaking. When he saw Alice turn, the huge bold strapped with ginger beard and red, like ham, arms threw a can into a trash and headed to them.

"Why would you need this jalopy, go with us!" He smiled, raising up his hands invitingly. He was a bit groggy, and it seemed he was drunk.

Sirius turned away, narrowing eyes.

"Don't react and sit down quickly," he said in a low voice.

Alice, growing numb, hastily threw a leg over the motorbike and sat on the leather seat. When she turned, she saw a few more people separate from the group near the window.

"Sirius…"she squeaked.

"I said not to react. Hold on to me," Sirius said quietly, turning the handle and unhurriedly pressed some buttons. "It'll be fine."

The girl obediently put her arms around his torso, seizing his shoulders and pressing herself to leather jacket. Everything inside of her twisted in a hard, madly beating lump. The motorbike began to vibrate. Sirius pushed off from the ground, and with a slight tremor, Alice felt them freeze in unstable position and set off softly. Suddenly trunk driver's denim suit, strained from his beer gut, loomed right in front of them. The motorbike jerked and stopped.

"We're are you going?! Stop right there!" Fat, sausage-like fingers grabbed the handlebars like it was theirs. Sirius raised his head, his eyes shining unkindly, like metal. "I just wanted to offer this young lady a ride with…"

"Take your hand off," said Sirius, feeling Alice hold onto him even tighter. Like a drowning man holds onto buoy.

"You know what, I don't think I have seen you before." The driver poked into the handle bar, trying to focus his little blue eyes on Sirius.

"Your luck, man," Sirius stared at the fat dirty finger, fighting the will to cast a spell on it.

"This place is ours. This gas station is like our home! And everything on this station…" Drunk, swollen eyes clung to Alice, and she shivered. "…is ours! So keep your hair on." A few more men came closer. The situation was going out of control. "Take your iron and leave, do you get it? We don't like strangers, right, guys?"

His company didn't react at all, gloomily looking like schoolchildren from beneath skin wrinkles on low foreheads.

"We will only give your girl a ride, she doesn't need to be afraid." He stroked his beard.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way." Sirius said, separating words, raising his gaze and suddenly reminding himself of his mother very much. "If you won't, these chubbies will need to rend your fat ass from the ground."

The chubbies turned their heads, and the ginger-bearded one reddened.

"What did you say?" he snarled, clenching his fists. Sirius carelessly put his arms in pockets, straddling his feet and straightening his back, looking at the driver archly.

"I said I would wipe up the floor with your beef, beaver," he said with pure satisfaction, and smiled impudently.

"Sirius…" Alice uttered a groan, freezing with fear.

"You…" The driver runs towards him, reaching out fat hairy hands, but only in a couple of centimetres from Sirius' neck they stopped, as if they stuck in the air. The sausage fingers were grabbing the air avidly, but the hands (as well as the driver) were petrified and couldn't move. Piggy eyes widened.

"What the?…"

Sirius frowned worriedly.

"What's wrong, Frank?" One of the chubbies asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong, beaver?" asked Sirius, faking a disturbed voice.

"What have you done to me?" Frank growled, his face reddened.

"Me?" Sirius was honestly surprised.

"Frank, what's up?"

"Frank, are you okay?"

"It might be his heart!"

"Does he have medicine with him?"

"Who has a first aid kit?"

"I'll bring it!"

"He did it, idiots!" Frank snarled at last. His tongue faltered and suddenly, with weird chattering sound, glued to the roof of the mouth. Frank moaned, like a wounded ox. At first everyone froze, staring at him as he was moaning and stretching out his neck, and then at once they all turned to Sirius. He was still smiling, even though his gaze became sharp, like a knife blade, and skin around eyes seemed to darken.

"So..." one of the drivers said. The atmosphere got tense, it seemed one more second and it would crack. "Grab him!"

"Oops!" Sirius suddenly cried out. The company, sighing at the same time with the same enthusiasm drew back, stepping on each other's feet.

Puzzled, Alice followed the glance of one of them and saw how Sirius' jacket pocket, where still his hand was outstretched, pointing with sharp end right on people standing in front of the motorbike. One of them raised empty hands. Sirius raised an eyebrow, slightly jerking his head aside, telling them to leave.

The drivers slowly and unwillingly gave way to him, their eyes fixed on imaginary weapon. When the engine roared once again, it dinned in Alice's ears, and the motorbike set off. Truck drivers watched them go with alert, heavy looks.

"Were you really going to jinx them?" she asked, looking back.

"Yes…" Sirius looked back, too. The wind blew hair on his face; he glanced at the road swiftly and looked back again. "I will jinx them right now, look!"

He reached out his hand out of pocket and raised it high, showing to drivers the middle finger. They heard yawls, and men run after them, but Sirius turned the handle jerkily, the motor howled, and the motorbike set off with huge speed, leaving behind the ferrymen, the gas station, and everything that happened there.

"Yes!" Alice cried out victoriously and laughed. The relief sputtered in her blood. "There you are!" She threw a fist up in the air, but wind blew it behind her back.

"Hold tight!" Sirius yelled in alarm. The motorbike was gaining speed, clearly beating Muggle indicators for this kind of transport, and Alive could be easily blown away from the seat. The girl hastily hugged him, nestling against a very tightened jacket, when the suddenly heard a roar. Alice turned back: a truck, which reminded of an iron dragon from afar, was following them in tracks.

"Sirius!" She cried out. "Sirius, he is chasing us!"

She was right. Frank, furious and as red as a beet, who was laughed at by his own friends the second the motorbike had left the petrol station, was driving. He couldn't stand the thought of being beaten by some boy who was only passing through. He put the hammer down, his eyes fixed on the motorbike.

"He only thinks so!" Sirius said cheerfully, glancing at the side mirror.

"What are we gonna do?" Sirius' joy had spread to Alice, even though it could be the experienced fear and boiling adrenalin in blood. "Sirius?!"

"What are we gonna do?!" The youth turned, giving her a short mischievous look. "You hold tighter! And I will kick the beavers' fluffy butts!"

"What?"

Sirius turned a lever, pressed some buttons and pressed himself closer to the seat. Alice felt with terror how the motorbike softly lifted off the howling, growling earth. Desperately grasping onto Sirius with hands and legs, she squinted and her face into his leather jacket. The wind attacked her furiously, trying to pull her off the seat and heave her onto the slipping-away ground. Sirius wailed happily, like an American jackal. Alice opened watery eyes and made a decision to look down, even though the wind was so strong it was hard to look. The truck pulled off the road, wryly standing on the wayside. The driver hastily got out of the truck and stared at the flying away motorbike, protecting his eyes from the sun and opening wide the mouth. The sound of flying motorbike's engine was so loud, it seemed it was a little plane. But Frank still could hear a loud crop of laughter fall on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ZZ Top - Bad to the Bone
> 
> Visit my Tumblr for the DM cast, questions and delicious things :)  
> http://maria-ch.tumblr.com/
> 
> My cast  
> http://seedmcast.tumblr.com/


	5. Importance of not being Malfoy

####  **... July 31, 1977...**

Her long silken dress was tightened way too tightly on her chest and it was hard to breathe. Narcissa Black was eager to get rid of it and put on a light linen sundress, which she had been wearing the whole morning. Actually, she liked silken clothes. But now the touch of smooth fabric created a wave of goosebumps.

It seemed, the before-wedding worry soaked into every napkin and pillow. Flowers and new tablecloths' smell spread into the room. Down in the kitchen, dishes jingled. Guests' ringing voices could be heard even on the third floor.

Everyone was looking forward for the wedding and was happy.

Everyone except her.

"Are you scared, sister?" Bella asked playfully. She was lying right in her dress on Narcissa's still not made up bed. The black dress with a puffy skirt was rolled over flippantly, and the shock of tarry curls, scattering on snow-white sheet, reminded of thin adders on snow. Wide waist was strapped up with tight black stays, which sustained high breast, well underlined by décolleté. Black net fitted close to her plump hands, fingers with long black nails were studded with large rings.

Turning the pale face with boiling black, resin-like eyes to her sister, she pouted her black lips.

"You look like a drowned person," she said tenderly and nodded. "I like it."

Narcissa picked up an amazing necklace with white moonstones from the dressing table and pressed it to her warm neck. Cold tiny stones found their places in soft pits on bulging out collarbones. The girl sighed deeply and touched the accessory.

_«Today I am getting married»_

These plain and easy words, which sounded like a pray to girls all over the world, were spinning around Narcissa like wasps. And they stung every time, when she got distracted or calm.

In Hogwarts, she didn't mind Lucius. Every morning they would greet each other in a friendly way, have breakfast and lunch, sitting at the same table, spend evenings in the same room, sit on the same couches and at the same desks in the same classrooms, together go to Hogsmeade, Slug Club's meetings and Quidditch matches. Sometimes they would exchange a couple of phrases. But that's where their relationship ended. They would barely remember about each other after school, and, as time would go, they would even forget each other's names.

But, when the school year came to the end, the summer began - the most poignant time for Narcissa Black. Her parents would sent her to San-Sabestian, Malfoy's summer residence, where they were forced to sit in one room under the lock, like a pair of ants under a glass and they had to spend time together, while everyone else was hoping and waiting for them to fall in love and mate.

And Mrs. Malfoy, with her ice-cold eyes and sweet smiles, and weak-willed Narcissa's mother, and all their friends - they all were waiting for a spark to flash between Narcissa and Lucius, for them to fall in love during magic tennis match… but no sparkle had flashed for these ten years of playing tennis, walking on the beach, drinking tea or evening bridge games. Although everyone in family was keeping up the legend, that there was this first, tender feeling growing between young Black and Malfoy. And when caring mothers sent their offsprings to walk on the beach, all the relatives started to exchange knowing looks and purse their lips in smile. These smiles and meaningfully wide eyes made Narcissa want to stamp her foot and squeal, but she only lowered her eyelashes.

Because it's the only way for future happy fiancé to express what she feels…

"Merlin…what am I doing here?" she whispered quietly, looking with big eyes at her stunning reflection.

_«Maybe, I should just run away…?»_

This thought made her feel good inside.

Narcissa glared at the locked door.

"Are you talking to me?" Bella asked playfully, rolling on her stomach and dangling her feet in laced shoes with awfully high heels.

"No, Bella, not to you," Narcissa took out earrings from her jewel-case and put them on. Her hands were shaking so badly that she accidentally stuck the needle into her sensitive earlobe.

Bella laughed soundlessly, licking her front teeth, and rapaciously glanced at sister, who was sitting as still as a stretched string. It seemed if you had touched her, she would have rang. Or torn apart.

"You should have, Cissy. Moreover, I am already married." Even though Narcissa wasn't looking at her, Bella shook her left hand. "I am older and I know life better. I can tell you a lot of things."

"A lot of important things?"

"A lot of interesting things. Interesting and important."

"Really?" Narcissa asked mechanically. "Like what?"

"I know that you're scared, sister."

Narcissa loudly closed the jewel-case, and turned back jerkily.

"I am not scared." She wanted to rub her forehead, but changed her mind and doubled her fists. "I… am nervous… maybe… but I am not scared. Why would I be?"

The usual fake smile froze worry on her face.

Bella peeked at her and swiftly pushed her legs up to her chest, raising up. Clumsily walking on sheets, she jumped on the floor loudly.

"I know what you are scared of," she said, brining her lips very close to her sister's face. It could be thought she wanted to kiss her.

"Oh yeah? So... what is that?" Narcissa asked, straightening her back and carefully watching her sister walk around her.

"You are scared of my Lord," Bellatrix brought her left arm to face and pressed her lips to the tattoo fanatically, licking the snake creeping out of the skull. Narcissa squeamishly raised her upper lip. "You're scared of him disliking you, so he will dissolve your marriage, and you will become an aim of jokes…" Bella was standing behind her. "Or the opposite, he will like you, all that young, beautiful, untouched, and he will want to put a Mark on you." Bella spun in circles around her, just like a snake embracing its prey. "But trust me, my little sweet sister, there is nothing to be scared of. It's a great pleasure to feel his magic inside of you…" she whispered, breathing out on the girl's face, and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, she saw Narcissa looking at her with unabashed dread.

Bella froze like a fox that smelled a rabbit.

"A-a-ah… so here it is!" she whispered dramatically, her eyes wide and lips smiling.

Narcissa breathed in brokenly and shook her head.

"You are scared not of my Lord, but…"

"Shut up, Bella!" the girl hissed warningly.

"…your future husband, for Merlin's sake!" Bellatrix burst out giggling and clapping.

"Leave right now! Do you hear me, Bellatrix?" Narcissa waved her hand toward the door. "Get out!"

"Oh no, my dear, I am your elder sister, I have to prepare you." Bella hugged her sister's waist tightly. "Trust me, Cissy, you don't need to be scared of married life! It's just a settlement. You don't think your Lucius will ever love you, do you? Or that you will love Lucius?"

"Bella, please!" the girl pleaded.

"Oh, don't be afraid, Cissy. You will live like a couple of strangers! Lucius, like every man, will be always busy," Bella touched round milk stones on her heavily rising chest and sighed, looking closely at Narcissa's white, smooth neck. "I must say, you will have to endure him in bed a few times a week, but it's all for future successors, my dear, which you will have to bring into life in awful torments." Something had changed in her sister's face, Narcissa saw a familiar expression and panicked on the inside.

"He won't caress you," Bella said aggrievedly. Her hands, covered with black net, hung, black eyes didn't shine anymore, thin, crooked legs, sticking out of her puffy skirt, feet turned to each other. "Won't even a bit. Most likely, he will just climb onto you and paw you over. And breathe. You will be scared, and not able to move, just waiting for it to end…"

Narcissa closed her eyes.

Smiling gloatingly, Bella walked around her, like a wolf, and picked up a glass of red wine. "And then, dear Cissy…" She took a sip. "You will have to clench your teeth and spread your lovely legs, so he can…" Bella brought up her palm to mouth, as if walls could hear them, and began nodding meaningfully with wide eyes. "Stick it in you."

"Shut up, Bella…" Narcissa whispered. The wand was far away, but she was ready to punch her sister with her bare hands. "Shut up right now!"

"You will be hurt! This is an awful pain and no pleasure. And he will be hitting into you for three or four minutes… and then, when it comes to the end, he will fall asleep at once, and you will be lying there and dreaming of death. Well, maybe he will start kissing you… here!" Bellatrix suddenly poked her clutched sister on her tense, hard neck. Narcissa jerked away and Bella laughed deafeningly.

"And here!" She poked on her shoulder, while Narcissa made a step back. "And here… and here, and here, and here, and here!" Bella was jumping around her, poking here and there, and black curls were waving on her head.

"Stop it! Shut up!" Narcissa finally squealed, turning her face to Bella. Her face was distorted with fury. For a moment, they looked very familiar. One of bracelets fell of her hand on wooden floor. Narcissa squatted to pick it up, reeled, not able to poise on uncomfortable heels, and awkwardly plopped down on the sofa.

The door handle squeaked.

Narcissa raised her head, Bella turned on her heels, but it wasn't Edwin Malfoy to enter the room, as they thought, but her daughter.

By the age of sixteen, Roxanne Malfoy looked very alike to her father: up-turned nose, small sad mouth and black velvet eyes, which stood out against pale skin. From her mother she got diminutive height and white, like snow, hair, now made in fuzzy artistic confusion on the top of her head. She was wearing a black velvet dress with a puffy skirt that flickered softly, catching the subdued lighting like a scattering of diamond dust, and opened a view at thin, like a dragonfly's but not very long legs, covered with black, fine-netted tights. As the wedding tradition demands, a showy flower, decorated by black dewdrop, was whitening on the claw hand; on the other hand, there was a big black cuff with metal rivets. Her moves were a bit angular and sharp, like a teenage boy's, but the looks she gave were direct and fearless, gave away her temper, chastened in Durmstrang's sub terrenes.

 

"What's going on here?" Roxanne asked, looked at the bride crunched into a heap on the floor, and shut the door. Her voice was low and husky, not matching to her ephemeral appearance at all.

"Well, well, well, look who crawled out of the burrow?" Bella asked, coming closer to the girl and stroking her chin with her wand.

"I thought they sent you overseas for forever, Roxy-Doxy." Bella touched the tip of her nose playfully, and Roxanne slapped Bella's hand, or to put it more exactly, she wanted to, but Bella was fast to withdraw it. "Where are you «studying» now, love? Portugal? Czechoslovakia? Maybe, Turkey? Hm-m? So where?"

Roxanne's eyes narrowed.

"In Beauxbatons, Bella, and you're fully aware of it. I came to the wedding."

"Oh, of course!" Bella jerkily opened the door, "accidentally" hitting Roxanne's back. "How could I forget, Beauxbatons - somewhere in the outskirts of France. How did I dare to think that your parents just didn't know any other way to get rid of you as soon as possible?"

"Go to hell," Roxanne snarled.

Bella smiled at her foully and, hanging on the door, looked at her sister meaningfully.

"Don't linger, Cissy. Everyone is waiting for you."

The door closed.

Narcissa closed her eyes and, carefully covering her face with palms, started crying her eyes out. Wiping off tears, Narcissa saw what she had done to her makeup, and burst into tears again.

"I don't want thi-i-is!" she moaned, apparently forgetting that she's not alone in the room.

_«I'm not ready, I am not, I don't want to, take me away, please!»_

Roxanne was silently watching her hysterics, picking at the edge of her dress.

Exactly the one her parents need...

Exactly the one Lucius needs...

Hesitating, Roxanne came up to the sofa and sat on the delicate armrest.

"Listen…Narcissa." She made herself put her palm on the white shoulder. For some unknown reason she thought that her hand would stick to this shining clean skin. Contrary to this, the shoulder turned out to be dry and silky. Narcissa only shivered at the touch and turned her bright blue eyes to the girl. "We never were close friends… or friends at all. To be honest, I don't even like you. Don't you think that I feel sorry for you or anything… I absolutely don't care, what's going on in your soul." Roxanne went silent for a moment. "But… I can guess what your bonkers sister had told you," the girl went on imperturbably. "She doesn't know him. Lucius will be a great husband. He's very very very smart, and you could have plenty to talk about. And he's handsome. I remember, once I accidentally came into his room while he was changing his clothes." Roxanne took napkins and make-up from the table and sat beside her, drawing in one of her legs. Narcissa noticed that the girl wasn't wearing regular shoes, but rough boots from the dragon skin. It offended her, in an odd way...And roused her curiosity.

"I don't think this is a good thing to talk about, Roxa..."

"His body is fucking perfect. I was studying in Durmstrang for a couple of years, and, trust me, I'd seen a lot. Lucius is just..." Roxanne shook her head. "He is only that severe and cold, buttoned up to the chin, perfectly brushed and haughty in public. If you had only seen him bare-chested and with loose hair in the firelight ..." Roxanne suddenly whistled saucily. "I must say, the scene is pretty good. No wonder why Parkinson was head over heels for him."

Narcissa couldn't help but smile and lower her eyelashes.

"And he is a great wizard, and will never ever let someone hurt you. Whatever Bella said to you, the family is the most important thing for him. When I was thirteen, I was expelled from Durmstrang." The girl screwed up her face. "It doesn't matter what for. So, they hustled me out and I went home. I didn't care, I couldn't stand this bloody Durmstrang anyway, but my parents were mad. They punished me," she smiled bitterly. "The punished me fucking hard. Much harder than I deserved, if I even were guilty."

Narcissa opened her eyes wide in surprise.

These words sounded strange from such a small and nice-looking girl.

"Lucius was standing aside and watched me get punished. I thought I would never forgive him, I even planned to run away when everyone would fall asleep," Roxanne suddenly smiled. "He secretly brought me hot chocolate and a huge plate of muffins, even though he knew that mother forbids me to eat sweet stuff. She is afraid I will get fat and some rich whore's son won't want to marry me." She snorted.

Narcissa opened her mouth, but didn't have enough time to say a word.

"He was sitting in my room all night and reading, and on next day he brought me to San-Sebastian, to let me be away from mother. Back then Lucius was visiting Beauxbatons for Guardian Council business and he showed me the school." Roxanne dropped her arm on the knee, rolling her eyes. "Holy Mother of Merlin, if you only knew how beautiful it is there! White columns, vineyards, wine and olive oil fountain, muses. And the snow is sweet." She opened her eyes widely, catching Narcissa's look. "Lucius said, if I wanted to, I could start to study there and not return home. I stayed at Beauxbatons till summer, he visited me every week, and on Christmas we went to our grandma to Switzerland. He is a great brother. I am pretty sure one day he will be a great dad too. And I don't even doubt that he is fucking good in bed, even though he is my brother and I don't wanna think about it."

Narcissa smiled slightly, looking up at her.

"But it doesn't mean I like you," Roxanne was fast to say, meeting her eyes. "If you only knew how many girls had dreamt to be on your place, you wouldn't be crying here like an idiot, but dance from happiness, since you got th…"

The door shut open.

Narcissa straightened her back at once, and Roxanne jumped up, as if she was stung.

Edwin Malfoy, in gorgeous beige dress, which looked like Narcissa's, but a little bit stricter, in black elbow-length gloves and black sable on her shoulder, sailed in the room, spreading the finest perfume. Small eyes were shining on the smooth, well-cared face, like two diamonds, her cream hair was brushed back so thoroughly it could be thought that she was bald, and only when Edwin turned her elegant head on her thin neck, a massive flock of hair, covered with a sparkling diamond net, could be seen.

Fragrant, snow-white and delicate, she was more of a wondrous flower than a living woman.

"Mother?!"

"Narcissa, everyone is waiting for you," Edwin said coldly, holding the heavy door with her beautiful hand. Her words changed each other smoothly, like a brook, forcing its way through gravel. "Go to the neighboring chamber, they will clean you up."

Narcissa raised silently and left the room all by herself.

Edwin waited for the door to close, and at last drew her attention to the daughter.

The unkind silence filled the room.

"Who let you leave the room?" Edwin finally calmly asked, looking at her indifferently.

"Hello to you too, mammy," Roxanne answered tartly, crossing her arms on her chest. "Since you're not asking, I'll will answer myself - I'm safe and sound, feeling okay, the road was fine, and nice to see you, too."

"I've asked who let you?!"

"I did!" Roxanne outshouted her, however, hesitating to move under her stern gaze.

They saw each other for the last time almost six months ago, and Edwin was very busy back then, so they met only once.

And now she was forcing herself to look at her.

Roxanne swallowed a prickly lump in the throat.

"Go to your room. Immediately." It seemed Edwin decided not to waste her time and opened the door to follow Narcissa. A thin flow of fastball music swept in the room. "We'll talk tomorrow." She turned to leave.

"I want to go to the wedding!" Roxanne blurted out.

Edwin stopped at once, even the ermine on her shoulder looked surprised, when she slowly turned back to her daughter and closed the door.

"I'm wondering, why in the world do you want to go?" Edwin asked in silky voice. "You didn't care about your family for so long, and now you want to shuffle in on our success like nothing had happened?"

The girl lost her breath from such hypocrisy.

"Didn't care?!" Roxanne fumed. "Damn it, you haven't written me in months, mother!"

"So what?" Irate words, ready to escape from lips in any minute, melted in these ice-cold words. Roxanne even forgot how cold and cruel Edwin was.

"I want to be at the wedding!" she repeated, and, to her horror, felt tears well in her eyes. She couldn't burst out crying. "Lucius..."

"I forbid you to go downstairs."

That's it.

With out any explanations.

Just like slamming the door in her face. Terse and firm.

Roxanne forgot what she was going to say because of the fury inside her. "What the fuck did I do?!" she shouted out at last, throwing her arms wide. "What? You won't even listen to me!" Roxanne wanted to stamp her foot so badly.

"What did you do?" Edwin repeated the question in ingratiating voice, losing the hold of the door handle and coming up to her daughter. "You dishonoured our family in Norway. You ran away from your own engagement. You called Vlad the Impaler..." Edwin couldn't repeat the strong word Roxanne said, "... A bloodsucker, moreover, on the reception in his own castle." A barely noticeable blush appeared on her creamy checks. With every accusation she made, Edwin was coming closer and closer. "You have already used magic without permission twice. You talk like a scum. You behave like... not even like a woman, far from the way a young Malfoy should! You openly interact with Muggle-borns..." The woman's voice lowered, and she jerkily moved her hand, which made the sable's head slip off her shoulder; its glassy eyes stared at Roxanne. It seemed it was disapproving of the girl as well, even though it died long time ago and now was hanging on ageing aristocrat's arms. "Don't you dare to ask me what you have done!" Edwin suddenly grabbed her thin, bare shoulder and pushed her towards the door. "To our room, and not a sound!"

"Mother!"

"All our guests are sure that you're in France at the moment. How do you want me to explain your sudden return?"

"Why don't you try to tell them that I live here, too?!"

"Shut up! Don't make me..." Edwin lowered her eyes and finally noticed the way her daughter was dressed. Something flinched on her beautiful face, and her blue eyes look sunken. Roxanne unconsciously stepped back, but her mother suddenly grabbed her elbow and pulled on herself.

«There'll be bruises left,» the girl thought.

"What is that? What are you wearing?! Where did you get this rubbish from?" She grasped black weightless chiffon, and Roxanne was afraid she would tear it, but Edwin unclenched her hand.

"I bought it," the girl stated bravely. "You probably didn't notice, but I grew out of my old dresses!"

"You spent our money on… Muggle rags?! "

"These rags are made by famous desi..."

The echo of a slap in the face rang out in the room.

Roxanne touched the hurt cheek, blinking unintentional tears away, and noticed with horror a wand being drawn out from mother's bag.

"Mother..."

"I told you, what I would do if I ever see you dressed like this?"

"I beg you…"

_"Diffindo!"_

"Mother!" Roxanne cried out, feeling the blade of the spell go by a millimetre from her skin. The clothes burst, and the tight bodice slipped down. Roxanne grasped it with her free hand, continuing to beg her to stop, but Edwin, ignoring her daughter's pleas and attempts to break free, waved her wand with force like she was holding a sword or a whip. Roxanne screamed, cried and swore, but her gorgeous black dress, spangled with small diamonds, had fallen on the floor around her feet, and the girl was standing in the middle of the room in nothing but her underwear, shaking from fear, with a scarlet stain on her cheek.

"A true Malfoy would never let herself turn up to her elder bother's wedding in Muggle rags. As well as she wouldn't let her daughter appear in it," Edwin stated, carefully hiding the wand in her reticule. "Now leave. And don't dare to make a sound. Tobby!"

A clap rang, and a doubled-over old elf appeared in the room, a piece of old velvet curtain with a golden tassel on the shoulder on him. He was almost fully bald, only a few locks of iron-grey hair behind his ears, almost as white as his mistress' and her daughter's. As soon as he saw Edwin, he bowed very low and froze.

"What does my mistress wish?"

"Accompany Miss Malfoy to her room, she's very tired," Edwin said sternly. "And look after her; she shouldn't leave her room until the morning." The woman swung the door open, letting guests' voices from the first floor sink in the room. "And if she tries to, immediately tell me." The elf bowed one more time and Edwin left.

Finally hearing a snuffle, Roxanne quietly turned the door handle and peeked out the hole.

All she could see was the elf's short legs and long nose. As he heard the door squeal, the elf snored unpleasantly, mumbled something, and snored again.

The girl carefully pulled the door out and, on tiptoe, ran to an open backpack, which was lying on her bed.

There was a letter on the nightstand, which she got approximately fifteen minutes ago.

_«Hello, baby!_

_I am a piece of shit. And I am ashamed. I mean, we all are. Because we all are pieces of shit. But it's not the reason we are ashamed._

_Just in case that jerk stayed alive, so we are clean. I am sorry I didn't reply to you for so long. You have probably heard that we are hella cool now. One huge beneficial ass drew us a cheque on round amount. I don't even know why the hell. :D So, baby, on the 2nd we give a small concert in Caledonian forest, maybe you have heard or saw our posters? There is written something about the greatest event of the century and blah blah blah... bullshit, basically. Why am I even writing you this? I didn't forget that you were excluded from Durmstrang because of us (even though this school sucks). I'm returning you the debt and sending you a ticket. Now it's impossible to get one, so dance, baby. The hangout will be awesome. I know what you're thinking about. Kiss me later. I'll wait for you beneath the stage. Donaghan»_

Roxanne's room reminded her of a museum - huge airy space, light-blue and creamy colours, ceiling in plaster, heavy long curtains and mirror-like light parquet, on which one could ice-skate on like on ice, unless there was a carpet of the size of forest meadow, high azure walls, huge paintings in heavy frames, fragile coffee-tables with precious garbage, by way of thin china fairies, cut-glass hippogriffs and phoenix's eggs...

It all was glorious and pompous ad nauseam and would be absolutely condemned for life, unless Roxanne's presence, even not frequent, didn't leave on the room her own effect.

Like birds, breaking free from cages, Muggle books had taken over all the horizontal surfaces in the room. It seemed they would fly away in any moment at a widely opened window. Favourites with torn off cover pages and backbones in rags were lying under her bed, away from prying eyes. Mixed up with the books were records, faceless black cassettes and clothes were tumbling everywhere. There were so many clothes, that it could be thought that the enormous wardrobe, which was placed behind Chinese curtain wall, vomited and everything inside it blew up from the wooden womb and stuck to the room all over, hanging on the candelabrums and statues. About them…

Not so long ago Roxanne found out that the statues in the room told her mother what she was doing during the day; after that Roxanne was obliged to stay under the lock in best case, and in worst to watch her books and records burn in the fireplace. That's why now marble betrayers were disarmed and desecrate as appropriate - noble face of Morgan Le Fay was hidden under a wooly Durmstrang cloak; on the especially Ethelred Ever-Ready Roxanne wound a knitted scarf, which he was touching quizzically with the stone hand every now and then; Laverne de Monthorency, a bifacial French king minion, was covered with ugly dark-blue sweater with a mermaid on it, which Roxanne's grandmother knitted for her a thousand years ago; on smart eyes of Herphin the Spiteful, whose bust was towering beside the bed, a black lace bra was put on.

On top of that, in between portraits with ancestors and famous magic figures, glace posters with Muggle bands logos were gleaming; a Weird Sisters banner, the most raunchy and forbidden in pure-blood society rock band, whose soloist Myron Wagtail was the reason for most of the mess in Roxanne's room, was hung above the bed.

Panicking, Roxanne hastily pulled on her favourite black T-shirt with «The Beatles» logo on it, a warm grey hoodie on top, jumped in ripped jeans with metal belt, grabbed a flyer and a ticket, folded them in four and, hesitating for a second, tucked under her bra's band.

Zipping the hoodie and hiding her long hair under the hat, she looked in the mirror with pleasure. Yes, you couldn't even define if she was a girl or a boy. Perfect disguise.

She returned to the upturned bed, looking for the Muggle money she had put there. She had to hunt through drawers and cut the giant mattress to find it.

There was a backpack with an open mouth on the pile of silken linen; Roxanne threw things in there that she might need on her way. Next to it, a ponderous magic player, which she got under strange and quite stupid circumstances, was lying. When she crawled under her bed searching for her lost Converse, the device's screen started blinking and the lid burst into clapping.

Jerking up her head, the girl blew a white lock away from her face and whispered, "Not now, Rory! I won't forget you, don't worry."

The player closed the lid and went out. Roxanne laced up her Converse, tucked the player in the rucksack, zipped it, threw it over her shoulders and climbed onto wide windowsill. The currant August evening gently kissed the girl's hair with a summer bouquet's palette. Roxanne tugged an improvised rope from sheets, which she found in the closet. Its end, hanging on the first-floor level, slatted and looked unjustifiable far away from such distance.

She doubtingly looked at lush purple rose bushes rippling under her window.

Roxanne sat more comfortable and accidentally dropped one of the books lying under a pile of empty Chocolate Frogs packages. A Muggle detective book was flying, it seemed, for ages and then plopped on the grass.

_«That's how I will plop…»_

Roxanne unwittingly gulped.

t would be terribly unfair to spoil everything in the last moment by falling from her own room's window at attempt to escape.

Not so much of unfair... as stupid.

Unlike all the defiant runaways that she met in her not so long lifetime, her parents had locked the fireplace. They could get over a Quidditch outing, but the didn't forgive her visiting famous Muggle musicians, whose emblem was now showing off on her T-shirt. And now she had only one getaway left - the window; apparently her parents thought that the height of three floors is better than any protecting spell.

Roxanne tugged the rope, checking if it was firm enough, and tied it up to the bed column. She tugged again, pulled, even hung on it. The knot turned out to be quite strong.

The summer night was panting into the window and beckoned her with a mighty heave, drawing her into frantic twilight, calling to break all the rules and run away with it on the long road...

It's time to leave, until someone came to her room to check her...

Looking back at the locked door with a red-and-purple Weird Sisters poster, the girl imagined her mother's reaction, when she would find out that the girl ran away again...

Roxanne headed to the window firmly, climbed on the windowsill once again, this time forbidding herself to look down, twined the rope around her hand and turned her back to the window, looking with huge eyes at the column, on which her life now depended. And the concert.

She fancied there were not three floors, but thirty-three beneath her.

She sighed deeply, kneeled and very slowly let one leg down. Then the second one, slowly as well, leaning against the windowsill with her stomach and chest. Her hands started trembling, accepting a part of her weight. Breathing deeply, the girl had been on nettles and finally came out the window, hitting the cold wall outside.

Her heart was beating like crazy, her knees were shaking, but she was crawling down stubbornly, feeling the bag with precious few of her belongings pull back on her shoulders.

«Woah, so skanky!» she thought dully, slowly conquering the second floor and facing a stone gargoyle, which was sitting in dark corner between third and second floors. When it saw Roxanne, gargoyle pulled a face and froze again.

After resting for a minute, the girl went on, sliding carefully on her taught rope.

Suddenly a monstrous crack rang from above, and Roxanne flew down a few meters, as if someone sharply tugged the rope. Everything sank into silence, except for the sheets cracking. Roxanne jerked up her head.

At that very moment, something rattled on the third floor, everything inside of her swooped, and in few seconds, she flopped into thorny rose bushes.

Awareness caught her far later. The earth turned out to be much closer than she imagined.

It seemed even the celebration in the house stopped, and everyone listened close to the noise outside. In few minutes, the bushes shook and crackled, and Roxanne rolled out of them, swearing and dusting herself off. Suddenly something cracked upstairs, and the remains of the bed fell on the girl.

The door, which led from the inner yard to the kitchen, burst open, and long suffering elf-the-guardian with an oil lamp jumped out on the street. Roxanne raised her head in amazement.

When he saw her, elf cried out and took off running towards her, insanely shaking the lamp and mixing deep summer twilight with flat light.

Roxanne set off running too.

A prison cage of iron fencing grew from the darkness, through which sticky fog was leaking from the gloomy forest, surrounding the house. Roxanne ran faster than ever before, not even like the time a fight started after a Quidditch match. Jumping up, she grasped the bars, placed her foot in between narrow lattice in habitual movement, pushed up, seized sharp spikes topping the fence, pulled her foot out the bars, and, clearing the hedge, ground on the tainted grass, drowning in the air for for a moment. Her feet flared up with pain at once.

Catching her breath, she made off, and when she had run away to a pretty safe distance, the girl looked back. The light of the lamp was looming behind, parting the firm shadow.

The elf could not leave neither the house territory, nor his mistress alone in the forest.

And he couldn't go to Edwin with such good news.

Roxanne was sorry for a little servant, when she imagined what her mother would do when she'd find out. It's not his fault that a stern mistress decided to lock her daughter up in the room the same day the Weird Sisters were giving the concert...

"Miss Malfoy!" the elf cried out, putting the lamp on the grass and grabbing the fence, when Roxanne came up closer to him. "Miss Malfoy, Tobby is begging you to come back, please, miss, please come back immediately!"

Roxanne stepped in the taint of light and threw something to Tobby.

He automatically caught it, and, gasping, threw it back on the grass, jumping back and raising his round silly eyes at the girl. It was a black T-shirt with a Weird Sisters logotype.

"Miss Malfoy... what is it?"

"You should no longer stay in this house, Tobby," Roxanne pointed out gloomily, crossing her arms on the chest. "I am your mistress, I gave you the clothes, you took it. You're free, so you can go find better masters."

"Miss Malfoy is saying terrible things..." the elf mumbled, shaking his floppy-eared head and stepping back from the black T-shirt on the ground. "Tobby... doesn't... doesn't want to be free!"

"You don't have to lie to me anymore," Roxanne sighed, glancing at the dark five-story mansion, marked with thin light windows. Dry trees in the garden were joylessly turning black in growing dusk, it seemed they bow to the house. "Only ghosts and ghouls like it here. Every normal creature stays away," she looked at bent old elf and scrouched down, smiling tenderly. "Dear old Tobby, if you only knew how much I'd like to be you right now... what a pity a piece of clothing can't free me."

Tobby shivered at these words, remembering about the t-shirt, and shyly reaches his thin hand towards it. Roxanne firmly took it, put it into elf's palm and pressed his finger together.

"You'll be very, very happy in another family, buddy. It can't be any worse, anyway."

Clenching the cloth of his mistress' t-shirt, Tobby suddenly pressed it to his face and burst into tears, shaking his whole body.

Roxanne sympathetically stroked his balding head, and the old elf, unable to hide his feelings, threw himself to his ex-mistress and tightly hugged her through the fence.

"Won't you get cold in the forest, miss Malfoy?" The elf was crying. He was pounding, as if he had a fever. "Maybe Tobby should bring you warm socks or thermos with hot chocolate? For the last time? Tobby has lived here for a long time, Tobby has heard terrible..."

"I will be okay, Tobby," Roxanne stated firmly, drawing back from him and standing up. She was eager to leave. "I'm running away, and not for the first time. I'll cope with it. "

"But it's night already, miss!"

"Not yet," Roxanne said with fake careless, but her voice betrayed her. "Don't worry, Tobby. Go away faster, until everyone is..." She gulped. "Celebrating. I don't want my mother to catch you... or anyone else."

"Okay, miss Malfoy. Please, take care for old Tobby."

"You take care, too," she hugged him for the last time and headed off to the forest. Turning back, she waved at him.

"Goodbye! Goodbye, Tobby!"

"Goodbye! Be careful and don't sleep on the ground!" The elf's face suddenly faded, and light of the lamp spread with blinking circles. Roxanne sighed, and told herself not to be down and sped up, not turning back anymore.

For some time the light was flickering behind her, but soon it was smothered, and Roxanne was alone with the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit my Tumblr for the DM cast, questions and delicious things :)  
> http://maria-ch.tumblr.com/
> 
> My cast  
> http://seedmcast.tumblr.com/


	6. Run away Roxanne

Somewhere aback, a branch cracked and wings clapped. The sound impaled her brain like a needle, and Roxanne turned in a jump, raising yellow light like a sword. An owl landed on dozy tree's branch, hooting mockingly while thoroughly looking at the girl.

One more rustle and Roxanne turned round again. The light fell on a harmless hedgehog.

The owl hooted again, laughing. It clapped its wings and flew from the branch, strewing the girl with dust of rotten wood.

The endless crowd of black trees was parting, seeing Roxanne off with a thousand invisible eyes. Bare trunks were shining, as if they were covered with spleen, their twisted branches were reaching for Roxanne. Thick fog was covering musty, untouched by sun, earth of Wiltshire forest. Here and there, wolves' babbling roll calls were resounding, owls were hooting again…

A few times Roxanne thought someone was following her, but every time she turned around, the light caught only peacefully sleeping plants.

Once or twice she seriously considered going back home, but Donaghan's letter warmed her heart and strengthened her spirit. With the letter in mind, she embraced herself strongly and stubbornly stepped forward.

The fatigue she felt before finally caught up to her and she decided to rest. Breathing in thick, frosty air was hard, and her legs were shaking as if she had run a marathon.

And when Roxanne wiped her face, she noticed her hands were shivering too.

Throwing her bag on the ground, in tree's rhizome, she flopped down and pressed her back to the trunk, closing her eyes. She felt as if the trees moved when she wasn't looking.

There was something wrong with this forest, that's for sure. It drained her of her strength, drinking it with drying darkness, silence, and heavy air. It seemed that it was waiting for her to fall down, all her strength diminished, so it could shamelessly dive its avidly slippery roots into her.

She had rotated the lamp around her, looking for any imaginary roots and then directed the light up, focusing her attention there. The sky above the treetops shone a dark purple - careless, summer and warm - in contrast to the forest with it's dark and cold aura, like in a cellar. And there, above, in a warm blueberry ocean, stars were starting to shine. One of them was shining brighter than others. Roxanne unwittingly remembered Astronomy lessons.

_«Sirius is the brightest star in the Great Dog»._

Sirius... this name seemed familiar to her. As if it was a hero's name form the Tales of Beedle the Bard or stories about a giant who ate the moon.

Roxanne stared at the moon - round, yellow, and looking as if someone pressed it to the sky with a huge finger.

Suddenly Roxanne felt very dreary. The same moon is probably looking into her house's windows because it was, without a doubt, much more joyful there than here. Even the moon can be present at Lucius' wedding.

Only Roxanne was not allowed there. And it's all because her own mother was ashamed of her.

Her lantern's light was fading fast. Roxanne started clicking the switch, directing the ray at her face. Something inside it squeaked quietly, desperately trying to stay on, and then it was gone, leaving Roxanne in the darkness.

"Oh, great," she mumbled, hiding the lantern in her pocket, and picking up her backpack, untangling from the root that caught it.

Suddenly a branch crackled again nearby.

This time so intentionally, that the girl's heart stopped.

"Who's there?" She asked demandingly, scanning the trees thoroughly. In the frozen silence, her voice sounded like an invitation, "I am here, take me!"

Roxanne gulped, feeling the tip of her tongue growing numb, and asked one more time, loudly, but indistinctly, "Who's there?!"

A new rustle echoed through the silence. Roxanne grabbed her wand.

"Oh damn, show yourself!" She cried out at whatever caused the noise, desperately hoping it were the Bowtruckles or wood elves. "Hey!"

The forest remained silent.

Her heart leapt up, its rapid beating constricting her throat.

"I swear, if you don't show yourself, I…"

And then it happened.

Her irate speech was cut by a howl.

A piercing, sad howl.

She only had a second of realization.

Roxanne slowly raised her eyes and glared at the mockingly glowing circle, dug with craters, in the sky.

 _"Damn!"_ She swore and quickly ran away.

The werewolf heard her footfalls. It ran after her in unhurried and prudent motions, sniffing the tempting human scent.

She should have been thinking about how to save her life, but all she did was dart up and down the insane hills while listening to branches cracking mixed with a murderer's husky breath behind her.

There were only two of them, and no one around for miles.

A werewolf and a human.

Lately there had been so many articles about it in the «Prophet», all infamous for the awful pictures at the end...

No! She can't think about it now!

She has been friends with Myron Wogteil for so long, a lousy wolf can't frighten her!

Roxanne suddenly turned left, forcing her way straight through thorny bushes. Her feet grew heavy from terror, like in a nightmare, and they stamped on the ground like two marble columns. Merlin's mother!

All this time a werewolf was chasing her, and she had stopped to sit on the bag and light her stupid lamp! She may as well have taken off with ketchup all over her and yelled "The dinner is served!"

Far measured tread became closer and faster.

A wrong, inhuman tread.

"Help!" Roxanne cried out fearfully. Her voice broke off.

Of course it was stupid to hope someone would hear her. But still she tried once again, "Hel..."

She choked, stumbling over a root, and, with a whop, fell in a moist mix of dirt and fallen leaves.

She looked back, ready to say goodbye to her life, but at that moment the werewolf, which looked like a tall long-handed man in a shaggy coat, stumbled over a fallen tree, which diminutive Roxanne could easily go under.

She only had time to see two small yellow eyes shine in the darkness, and then the wolf fell with a thud.

Her heart was pounding from the large adrenaline rush, she could feel it leaping and spinning.

She could have been dead for a few seconds now.

Dead, for real.

For the first time in forever, death was so close.

And for the first time Roxanne could see this creepy creature, could see it within arm's reach. It had the snout of an animal and a wide, muscular body covered with long fur, faintly reminding her of human hair. The werewolf matched the pictures she'd seen, but much more real. This one's alive, it's moving, thinking and craves for blood. Her blood.

She suddenly felt so scared that she quietly whimpered from foreboding feeling that chilled her bones. Any normal person would have tried to kill the creature while it was lying unconscious yet here she was, sitting and whining, like a small girl unable to stop.

The werewolf then howled lambently, like a dog whose tail was pinched by a door, and clanked its teeth, impaling the darkness with its awful eyes for one more time.

This sound lashed at Roxanne like a sobering slap.

Her brain turned on, her mind no longer filled with the misty haze of fear, and started working actively.

Trying her best to not draw attention, she carefully thrusted her hands against the ground and tried to get up, but something jerked her aback, and she fell into the dirt again.

Her feet were stuck.

Roxanne grabbed the wand, panicking and not thinking about what her actions at all.

_"Lumos!"_

The dark frighteningly scattered, and she saw that her foot was entangled in roots, black and wet, like fat worms.

Before her very eyes these roots suddenly started sagging into the earth with long champing, probably scared of bright light. With the roots weakened, she slowly pulled her feet away.

The girl's mind drifted from fear.

It seemed the whole forest was created just for her to be eaten up tonight. If not by a werewolf, then by the earth itself. The ground, which belonged to the Malfoys, will eat her.

Merlin, what a cruel irony.

The werewolf jerkily raised its head, finally coming to its senses. It bore its front paws against the ground, and jumped up on its back ones.

Shaking from fright, Roxanne couldn't bring herself to lower the wand, and the warm ray of light was swimming from side to side, blinding the animal. She suddenly forgot all the spells she could use. The girl was automatically jerking her feet, desperately trying to get rid of the devil snares, and watched the werewolf coming closer to her. For some unknown reason, it didn't seem to rush to attack her.

Instead, its ears were pressed to its head, paws tucked up timidly.

It snarled mournfully, making a step towards her before jumping back.

The moving roots were frightening it. Looked like devil snares were standing higher than wolves.

It gladdened her, but not too much. While she was risking being eaten by roots, the wolf wouldn't touch her.

Amazing.

What shall she do?

The werewolf went around her, and she twisted her body to follow it. The warm light touched thick black roots and they impulsively jolted back into the earth, escaping from the light and dragging Roxanne with them. Her foot refused to squeeze through solid earth, but the roots did not retreat. It hurt. Roxanne slid on the ground a few centimetres and instinctively tried to grab something to hold on as her feet continued to sink into the earth. She felt something stir beneath her, something slick, and cold...

Sweat formed all over her skin, even on her feet. Devil snares are said to grow for centuries, and their dam, the seed, is never to be shown up. Roxanne felt something cold and wet unsurely touch her elbow causing her arm to jerk away. The wand's light spilled and Roxanne saw that the whole meadow was moving around her as if fifty gross, shiny snakes were crawling there.

It seemed the light was the only reason the roots did not attack her as a group - they stirred while avoiding her, leaving a small, clean patch around Roxanne.

The wool on the wolf's back raised. It howled again, the sudden shriek making Roxanne cover her ears, and then it ran away.

She was left alone with the devil snares.

_«Oh Gosh...»_

There was only one thing left.

_"Diffindo!"_

The Severing Charm hit its target, the roots blowing out and letting Roxanne haul her foot free. Just as quickly as they were blown out, the roots flew up and the devil snare sprang at her.

Roxanne hurriedly set off to the depths of the forest. The plants went berserk, either ghastly squealing or whistling, and started in pursuit of its prey, ripping the ground open.

The trees were growing very close to each other, and all the free space was occupied with webs, wild berry bushes, and armies of insects. Spiriting the web and cutting the brushes on her way, the girl wrested anything else out to make more free space. An awful crack reverberated through the still air - enthusiastic roots forcing their way past asserting trees in order to chase after her.

Pursuing the offender, the flower was able to break its shelter.

She didn't know where she was running, she just ran. A few times she tried to pop fire at the snares, but small fire was too little to frighten the whole flower, which is likely to be of the size of the forest, and was sitting beneath it for many years...

The roots unexpectedly broke off the earth underneath Roxanne's feet, a hissing sound following the break. The girl squealed in surprise and blindly cut them with a spell. Black juice splashed over her face and arms.

All of a sudden the ground went down, sinking to the pit with a lot of small trees in the surrounding area. Roxanne almost fell in, bumping into the nearest one of them. Her heart was in her throat once more with sweat coating her entire being. Catching her breath, Roxanne straightened up and wiped her face. The light fell on the trunk, and an absolutely human face stared at Roxanne.

The girl yawped, jumping back.

As soon as the light creeped down the tree, the martyr's face became bark, the wide mouth open in a scream and empty eyeholes - the hollow of the tree trunk and cracks.

Roxanne turned around, lighting the other trees, and her legs gave way - these weren't threes…

Someone rattled and rustled back again.

She started running, well, she tried to. Her legs wouldn't obey her and Roxanne, missteping, flew down head over heels, risking to break her neck every second. The backpack was rumbling, ping ponging between her back and the ground; in -an unsuccessful attempt to seize something, she scratched her hands, dirt getting into her sleeves and under her hoodie. Smashing into a thick bush, which a pit ducked down into, the girl collapsed onto the flat surface, the loud thump of her body harshly hitting the ground resonating throughout the forest. Uneven breaths broke out of her lungs and for a moment she thought she would never be able to breathe.

Squeezing the pain out of her and sighing heavily, Roxanne opened her eyes.

The sky, still soft and purple as it was when she was climbing on the windowsill, swayed upon her.

Roxanne sat up, rubbing her head that was currently aching from the fall, and only then did she realize where she was. A delightfully smooth, paved by human arms, road was outspread beneath her.

Barely containing tears of joy and relief, Roxanne was touching wet asphalt and laughing, thinking that the scene probably looked stupid from the sidelines.

Somewhere deep in the forest, an echo of a wolf's howl resonated. Roxanne jerked, instinctively squeezing the wand in her hand, and glanced at the deceivingly harmless tree wall above the road.

From here the trees looked like any other forest.

She turned back and tried to get up on her feet, but then a new shock stunned her.

Escaping the darkness, a milk-white blinding light was darting on her with a long howl.

Roxanne understood she had to stand up right now and run to the side, but she could not make a move. Her body was paralyzed and now, she was staring at the large vehicle about to be responsible for her death.

«This is the end!» flared up in her paralyzed brain. Everything suddenly narrowed, shivered, dropped. Her hands felt rubbery and the sky wobbled above her head. A dazzling, sickening pain overcame her... and then it all disappeared.

The driver of a giant three-level bus hit the brake pedal at the same time as Roxanne fell on the road, dropping her wand. The bus was not too far from Wiltshire, so the driver oriented himself just in time to stop a couple of metres in front of the girl lying on the road, doing his best to avoid running over her.

Softly swaying, the bus stopped, drowning in smoke like a huge dragon. A tall busman in a uniform jumped off the bus and onto the road, apprehensively squinting his eyes in the twilight.

"Dead?" Ernie Prang, the bus driver, yelled, leaning out of the window.

"Alive!" Ernie Shunpike answered, tilting the girl's head. "She might have hit herself pretty hard," he casted fearful glances around.

"Couldn't she find a better place to walk at night? What are her parents thinking!" the conductor ranted.

"Take her in, time is running out!" with that said, Ernie closed the driver's window.

Shunpike scoffed quietly before kneeling next to Roxanne, lifting her into his arms.

"Probably a run away from home…" he panted.

"Make sure she pays after!" Ernie grumbled when Shunpike passed by him and put Roxanne in the armchair. The door shut with a creak. Ernie pulled the lever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit my Tumblr for the DM cast, questions and delicious things :)  
> http://maria-ch.tumblr.com/
> 
> My cast  
> http://seedmcast.tumblr.com/


	7. A bowl for cat

####  **…July 31, 1970…**

A leaf fell in the cauldron. The liquid foamed thickly and spilled onto the overheated wall, sizzling upon impact. Lily stirred the potion.

In the morning, a heavy fall of rain had blanketed the vicinity and the river, tamed by factory dam and tubes, filled up. The sky was enwrapped with thick haze. So thick, that sunlight could barely break through and instead fell scattered onto the ground.  
On Tuesday, as she was carrying out a bowl of milk for the cat, Severus ran to her. Lily was squatting, watching the cat's pink tongue lap up the milk, when suddenly she heard a joyful squeal. Severus was riding for dear life, his heavy boots loudly hitting the ground and a big knitted sweater, which reminded Lily of fishing nets, swelled up like a sail on his lank body. When he saw that she had raised her head, Severus swished a paper in his hand and Lily understood what happened.  
Of course, she was ecstatic for him. Of course, she hugged him, the two cheering as they paid no mind to the world around them.

But… when she read the invitation to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and didn't see her surname at all, something shivered inside of her. A ball of unkind emotions appeared near her heart, and every time Severus mentioned the beginning of the school year (which he did all the time), this ball flinched and moved unpleasantly.  
She understood that something important – something she was looking forward to the whole summer – was already happening somewhere. What hurt the most, though, was that it wasn't happening to a complete stranger. No, it was happening close to home and to her best friend; all without her.  
Lily spent the following day looking out the window, watching birds fly over. Severus came to her only in the evening, with an armful of books, a cauldron, and a very real wand, showing her one thing after another and making a pother about Diagon Alley.  
Lily wanted to cry, as she listened to these almost fairy stories, but she didn't let even a drop of avidity sink in her soul and she was silently smiling to him, looking through the book, in which it was written about charms, unicorns and dragons in earnest.  
Then Thursday came. Severus started studying early, not wanting to wait for the school year to begin. His eyes, usually calm and sad, now burned with a kindling fire for knowledge and excitement for the upcoming year. He looked paler than usually and talked non-stop about what they would be taught in school. To passersby, it sounded as if he had already spent a couple of years at Hogwarts.  
Days passed after that. Maple trees in the yard started losing its leaves and the sky above the house was as calm as ever.  
A thought settled and plagued Lily's mind. That Severus was wrong and that she wasn't a witch. She didn't share her concerns with anyone, not even with Petunia, though she wasn't that communicative that much lately…  
All the magic she created before now seemed like a colourful, but forgotten, dream. Flowers no longer obeyed her; they didn't change their colour in her arms. She could not levitate anymore; no matter how hard she waved her arms. And, she couldn't find that little light spark, which used to be in rose bushes, in the garden. Miracles suddenly stopped, as if someone decided that Lily had her fun with the magic Cornucopia, and carried it away.  
Today Severus, not so excited as at earlier, but business-like and serious, suggested she try making an easy potion which he found in the book that he brought with him.  
Heavy-hearted, Lily joined him, even though she didn't want to do anything besides curling up in her bed and staring out the window; that's what she had been doing lately.  
Having made a small bonfire on the factory riverside, they locked the flame in hand-made kiln from river rocks and put a small, perfectly round cauldron above. Every now and then Severus moved it, fearing it would fall, and brushed off grasses and powder from shining sides.

"Severus, are you sure we won't be punished for brewing a potion here?" Lily asked, putting the potions book on her knees. "Is it legal?"  
She wore a denim overall and white t-shirt. Her hair was made in a ponytail. Her knees were already a bit green, but overall she looked clean and neat, compared to Severus, whose arms were dirty up to the elbow and a small smudge of grime on his cheek.

"We are learning. They can't punish us for that," He answered steadily. "Mother says as soon as we arrive to Hogwarts, we will start studying in good earnest! So, if we want to become best pupils, we don't have that much time to prepare," Severus spread-eagled on the grass and blew on the fire. "Okay Lil, now we can cut the Wolfsbane." He jumped up onto his knees, and pointed with his finger, stained green from the grass, to the page.

"Cut what?"

"Erm, it's called Artemisia, I think?"

Lily pulled the board towards her, not saying a word, and begun cutting the grass, listening to the crunching of taut, juicy haulms.

A cool, spicy scent filled the air as she kept cutting the Artemisia.

"I can't wait to brew this during lessons!" Severus added a pinch of salt, and a quiet clap rung. "We will become the best pupils, Lil. Everyone will be so jealous when they see us operate so skillfully!"

Lily swept carefully cut Artemisia into the cauldron and brushed her palms together, any grass that stuck onto her hands falling onto the ground.

"Mhm,"

"If we do everything right, we will be able to cure cuts!" Severus went on. "I'll even cut my finger to check!" Impulsively he brought the knife to his hand. Severus had moistened his lips before he slowly lowered the knife on the board. "It is not necessary to do that though. I… I am sure it's brewed right. We just can wait for someone to get a cut, accidentally…"

Lily watched Severus' attempts to cut the bean, which kept sliding beneath his knife, in half. When she put hers on the board, she held the knife flat-wise and put the side of the blade on the bean, pressing down on it. The bean popped, and thick, wood-like tar drooled on the board.

Severus did the same at once, and gasped when he saw how much liquid turned out to be hidden underneath the dry, wrinkly skin of the bean.  
"Interesting…" He muttered, making a note on a pad, and extracted the rest of juice to the cauldron. "Well done, Lil!" She smiled, meeting his gaze, but when Severus lowered his head, her smile disappeared at once.

"Everyone will burst with envy, I am sure…" he mumbled the rest, shaking his head, and, probably, not realizing he was saying it aloud.

"Maybe…"

Severus raised his head and saw Lily turning the pages drearily, her attention fixed on pictures of magical plants.  
"Lily?"

She didn't raise her head.

"What happened, Lily?"

"Did they forget about me, Severus?" The girl asked quietly, her head still down as she examined a random page in the book. Severus suddenly felt scared at Lily's question.

"Oh! No," He was sitting beside her the next second, mentally kicking himself for not realizing the reason behind why she was so unusually silent sooner. Severus didn't need an explanation on who they were; he and Lily always were very quick to understand each other. "No! Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"You got your letter a week ago. They are probably sending letters to everyone now. We live close to each other. If they wanted me to… they would… long ago…" Her voice quivered, the words leaving a foul taste in her mouth. She stopped talking, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I got my letter first, because…" Severus was frantically looking for an excuse, "…because they have my mother's address! It was simple, so they sent it early…"

Lily wasn't looking up.

Severus looked at her dim face. Usually when she gave him a glance, it felt like a warm ray of sunshine touched Severus. "I am sure they are just checking you, watching you, when you don't even notice!"

"How can they check and watch if I have not practised witchcraft lately?" Lily angrily shut the book. "I don't understand what happened…" she looked at her palms and clenched her cold fingers. "Maybe I can't do magic at all? Maybe you just thought that I am a witch, Severus. I don't think I am!"

"I just thought?" Severus laughed and shook his head. "Lily, you told yourself about a flower, which stood on a windowsill and then broke the window when you accidentally spilled tea on it!"

"Maybe someone just threw a rock in the window," Lily argued, shrugging her shoulders.

The boy picked up the book, opened it, and plopped it right in front of her. Gaudy letters saying Introduction to Potion Making looked at Lily.  
"It's said here, that potion only accepts those with magical abilities!" He said, poking to letters. "If you weren't a witch, we wouldn't get a potion; it would be just plain water with grass."  
Lily glanced at the cauldron just as a huge greenish bubble popped and released golden steam.

"But we are brewing it together, and you are sure to be a wizard," she started pulling grass unconsciously. "What if I wasn't even supposed to go to Hogwarts? What if you were wrong and I'm not a witch, but…" the girl waved her hand, making friendship bracelets and wristlets hit each other, and helplessly clapped her leg. "…some weirdo? Like that monk who was sleeping in the ice for a hundred years? I won't be able to study at an ordinary school, not after knowing Hogwarts exists," Lily closed her eyes tight and shook her head. "I won't!"

"And you won't, indeed! You will never have to study at a regular school! You will study at Hogwarts with me, and I know that as good as you're Lily Evans, and not Maggie Smith!" He moved closer to her. Lily unwillingly raised her eyes. "It will be fine, Lily!" The boy said soulfully. "If they don't send the letter till midmonth, we will do something. I… I will write to Professor Dumbledore about it!"

Lily smiled, looking into Severus' black eyes sadly. Severus smiled back, being happy about helping her even for a little bit.  
She suddenly plunged her hand into the pocket of her overalls, taking out a clean handkerchief and gently cleaned up the grime on Severus' cheek.  
The boy shivered awkwardly and pulled back, peeking at her questioningly. He wasn't used to open affection like that, so he grew circumspect - what did she need? The handkerchief dropped down his cheek, touching his chin, and Lily lowered her hand.

"You had dirt on your face," she explained, tucking the handkerchiefback into her pocket.

Severus, with his pale cheeks flushed pink, hurriedly came back to his place at the cauldron and grabbed the board and knife.  
"…and no one needs muggle school," he added swiftly. His cheek was burning at the place where the handkerchief had made contact with it, but Severus couldn't bring himself to touch it. "It's just a waste of time… you don't need it… you will definitely go to Hogwarts, so don't worry, and muggles are dull and stupid, they can't teach anyth-"  
Lily smiled slightly, and Severus stopped short, his blush deepening.  
"…I mean, they do teach, of course, but…"

"Lily! Li-ily!"  
They turned around, facing the direction of where the voice was coming from.  
Wrapping a denim jacket tighter around her body, Petunia Evans was going down on a flat hill, quickly striding on wet grass. Round bony knees were showing up every now and then from beneath her floral dress along with her darkened white knee socks, the fabric damp from water. Thin, shiny hair – which she was brushing all the time – was now tumbled because of the wind. Petunia definitely wasn't pleased with being surrounded by dirt and dankness, her face screwing up as she looked under her feet, then at the kids sitting on the water-side.

"What happened, Tunie?" Lily asked, standing up.

"Mom wants you to come home!" Petunia cried out. She stopped a few metres away from them and scrunched up her face underneath the light of day. Her upped teeth were big with noticeable notches; up-turned nose was ornamented with brown freckles. She shivered from a cold breeze and hugged herself in an attempt to keep warm. "Your teacher came."  
Lily looked at Severus helplessly.  
"It's because of the window," she explained in whisper, "which broke because of the plant."

"Oh…" Severus nodded in understanding. "Will we see each other later today?"

"I don't know. Bye, Severus."

"Bye, Lily."

Lily ran to her sister. Not waiting for her to come up, Petunia turned around and practically stomped up the hill, clearly upset that she had to stop whatever she was doing in order to go find her sister. Lily caught up with her, turned on her way and waved at Severus, who was still looking at her.  
Severus, whose mind had wandered into a hazy daydream, came back to his senses and waved back, but the girls were already on the other side of the hill.  
Sighing, he went back to the potion.

Petunia ran onto the wooden porch, stamping her feet loudly, and opened the door, walking into the entrance hall first. "We'll hope that you won't be excluded," she said, suddenly making a turn at the staircase.  
Lily, who sat in an armchair as she undid her dirty shoes' laces, raised her head. Petunia took off her jacket and hung it on a hanger with a smile.  
"It's just... If you will get excluded, then you will have no place to study," she said, fixing her hair in front of the mirror.

"Then I'll become a street musician," Lily stated firmly. "And when you marry Prince Charles, I'll play under Palace windows," she came up to her sister and put her hand on staircase railing.

"No, you won't," Petunia answered scornfully, mock glaring at her sister.

"Then I will bewitch you," suddenly Lily whispered in a daunting voice, looking at Petunia contemptuously with gooseberry green eyes. "I will, and your hair will fall off, so no prince will want to marry you."  
"Yeah right," Petunia said, scoffing, "like you can! It would be too much."

Lily narrowed her eyes and suddenly threw up her hands, ridiculously crooking her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Petunia asked cautiously, her shoulders tensing, and started walking up the staircase backwards, her eyes fixed on the other girl. "Stop it!"  
"Memoosy-tremoosy, salam-bahara!" Lily pushed the air towards, as if throwing something at her sister.

Petunia run up the staircase squealing, "I'll tell mom!"

"Lily!"

Lily turned around and faced the stained glass doors that led into the living room, dropping her hands when she saw her mother.

"Lily, can you come here please?" Mrs. Evans asked her, probably because she heard girls' voices in the entrance hall.  
Looking at Petunia, who stood frozen on the staircase landing, one last time; Lily locked her hands behind her back and went to the living room like nothing happened.

Her mom looked as beautiful as always – her hair smoothly brushed and dressed in a blue sweater, skirt with a string of pearls decorating her neck. She sat in an armchair, crossing her arms on her knees. Her dad, pulling the collar of his shirt as if it were hard for him to breathe, was jibbing on one spot behind the armchair.  
As soon as the door opened, they looked at their daughter at once.  
A woman, who was sitting on the sofa, didn't. Lily could only see a flock of grey hair and a thin, lean neck.

"Mrs. Silverbottom?" The girl closed the door behind her and entered the room, casting fearful glances at their guest.

No, it was definitely not Mrs. Silverbottom.

The unknown lady had a long, dark-emerald, and unusual looking dress on the top of the dress pinned up near her neck with a golden cat pin. Soft, stretched skin hugged the lady's small narrow face, her fairly big eyes gleaming and her small mouth severely closed. A white tea cup and a saucer were resting in tight brittle fingers.

"Good evening," Lily soughed, meeting her gaze.  
The woman nodded shortly, examining her dirty clothes, making Lily want to wrap something around her, so that all the grass stains and streaks of mud were covered up.

"Lily, darling…" Her mother reached one hand out and gestured for the young girl to come to her. It looked like the safety net underneath Lily's feet was coming apart.  
Lily came up to the chair, and, since she still felt an examining look the old lady was giving her, she peered into her eyes again.  
She looked oddly familiar...

"Lily," Jane squeezed her daughter's little shoulders. "This is Professor… Professor Minerva McGonagall."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Evans," McGonagall's voice was dry and clear.

"Nice to meet you, too," she answered unsurely. "I am sorry."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows.  
Parents turned their heads towards her at the same time.  
"What are you apologising for, Miss Evans?" asked McGonagall, and her voice sounded much more strict.

"I broke the window at school," Lily mumbled. "But it was an accident, I swear…"  
To her great surprise, the woman's stern face softened.

"Don't worry, Miss Evans. I am here not because of the broken window in the art class."

"Y-you're not?" Lily repeated, her mind whirling, trying to figure out how the lady knew it was in art class.

"No," the corners of McGonagall's lips raised a bit in a small smile.

"Lily, did you break a window at school?" Her father suddenly cut in.

"John..." Jane put her hand over her husband's, calming him down.

"Well, since you are here, we should no longer waste out time. I would like you to do something," the woman put a plain clay pot, filled with earth, on the coffee table.

"Where did this pot come from?" John whispered to his wife, but Jane didn't hear him. She was looking at Lily, whose face lit up for no reason.

"Put your hand on the earth, Miss Evans."

"What?" John looked over at Jane. "What did you say? On Earth?"

"Yes, on earth," Professor confirmed, staring at John with surprise. "Please, Miss Evans," she showed with her dry arm at the pot.

Lily, swiftly peeking at her parents, stood up and, kneeling before the table, put her palm on warm soil.  
All eyes at the pot, probably waiting for it to break into pieces, but… nothing happened.  
Lily stared at the earth, almost begging it to do something. She desperately tried to understand why it did nothing and she wasn't feeling any magic waves either.  
At the corner of her eye she saw her parents exchange looks.  
The old woman was standing silently and watching Lily carefully, her lips pursed.  
The silence, that permeated through the room, suddenly resembled an odd hum.

"Don't you want to explain us what's happening?" John blurted out, and the hum was broken.  
Lily mournfully looked up; closely listening to the tiny clots of earth she rolled between her fingers.  
"Who are you?" He asked demandingly, ignoring his wife's whispers for him to settle down.

"I have told you already," the woman said, a slight note of annoyance in her voice, reluctantly breaking her gaze from Lily. "My name is Minerva McGonagall and I…"

"And what do you need, Mrs.…"

"Professor!"

"…Mrs. McGonagall? Could you please just tell us and stop messing with us?"

"John! Dad!" Lily and her mother yelled simultaneously.

"Of course I can," the lady stated with dignity, bridging her hands. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"

Lily's heart dropped and flew up like on a roller coaster.

"… is interested in seeing your daughter, Miss Lily Jane Evans, among other students this academic year," the professor went on, ignoring the way John's face extended and the way Jane pressed her hands to her cheeks. "I guess you could not miss the fact that lately Lily has been showing some… abilities which are contrary to things you are used to. I understand how shocked you are, but I assure you, there is no need to worry. Your daughter is a witch."

The Evans exchanged worried looks.  
"Definitely there is no need to worry," John mumbled, staring at the floor. "Mrs. McGonagall..."

"No."

All three adults turned their heads to Lily, who was still sitting at the coffee table.  
"I am not showing any abilities," Lily admitted, facing only professor McGonagall. Her voice was trembling treacherously. "I am not doing anything extra-ordinary. Y-you were wrong, Professor. I am not a witch."

She couldn't cry. Lily gulped. Oh no, she wouldn't.

The Professor pursed her lips and hummed. "Are you sure, Miss Evans?"

Suddenly, something wiggled under her hand. Lily shrieked, frightened at the unexpected movement, and withdrew her hand from the pot. A small green sprout with a bright drop on its end showed up. Stretching to its whole height, it yawned and opened white pestles with relief. All at once, reddish-yellow marble cracked and the earth spilled on the table. Gross stiff roots extended in all directions and froze. Jane gasped, threw her hand over her mouth in surprise, and John rushed forward, but stopped with an outreached hand.

Professor McGonagall extracted an old pocket watch on a chain from her dress.  
"Quite an impressive result," she then smiled in that way that made every wrinkle on her face fill with warmth, "very impressive."

"Result?" John whispered with confusion evident on his face. "What is happening? Jane..."

Lily sat motionless on the carpet, her heart beating deafeningly in her ears and for some reason, she counted its beats.

"Mrs. Evans, Mr. Evans…"

I have to tell him.

"I am happy to announce that your daughter can enter Hogwarts…"

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts!

"…School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Witchcraft! Wizardry!

"Enter what?" John asked.  
"Witchcraft?" Jane whispered at the same time.  
The door moved a bit, and Petunia peeked into the room.

Lily turned to her with the shining look. "Tunie!"

The door closed with a cracking sound; hurried steps resounded from the stairs.

"Do you mean… she's like a healer?" John asked suspiciously and glanced at his wife. "I've heard of these. I agree, Lily has been acting quite strange lately… we just thought it's because she's at that age and… are you sure? Our Lily is a w…w…"

"Yes, Mr. Evans, I assure you, I am sure," McGonagall said dryly and offered Lily the one thing she had been waiting for all summer - a strong envelope with parchment.

The girl grabbed it, but wasn't sure if she should open it yet. Instead, she pressed it to her chest, feeling the magic, which she has been desperately trying to find in herself for the last couple of days, spill from the envelope and enter not only her, but in everyone in the room.

"Your daughter's gift has nothing to do with healing or other fibs. It's just normal, everyday magic."

"Normal… Everyday…" mumbled John and glimpsed at his wife.

"It needs developing. Otherwise it will become dangerous for both you and Lily. You have my word, Mrs. Evans, that this is neither a joke nor madness. Your case isn't unique," McGonagall shot a glance at Jane. Two shadows appeared under woman's big brown eyes, her hand was still pressed over her mouth. "At the turn of the century magic surges are common. We are thoroughly looking after the kids like Lily, but…" Minerva then slightly shook her hands. "It's impossible to keep track on everyone. Certainly, you have a choice. You can send her to an ordinary school, where she will feel foreign, and her gift will stagnate and most likely turn against her or you can send Lily to Hogwarts, where she will be studying among people just like her under the leadership of the best Masters of Magic in Great Britain," McGonagall cautiously looked at Jane and John who remained silent. "I can't decide for you," she stated, "Unfortunately."

Meanwhile Lily, who had opened the letter already, shot a shining glance at her parents, and her smile faded a bit. It seemed it wasn't that obvious for them as for her.

"Mom?" Lily stretched out the vowel, staring at her mom before moving her gaze. "Dad!"

"You have to bear in mind that every year Lily's magic will only grow and you won't be able to control it," McGonagall's voice sounded harsher than earlier. "And next time it won't be me who will come."

Jane, who had been having a soundless conversation during her speech, looked at her daughter. Lily pressed her palms together in a begging gesture, the envelope firm between her hands.

"Do you want this, Lily?" She asked miserably.

"Yes, mom…" Lily's tone of voice turned into pleading, "Very-very… very-very much!"  
Both Jane and Lily turned their gazes to John, who kept a gloomy silence.  
"Dad, it is all true…"

John lowered his head, deep in thought as he gritted his teeth.

"I am so eager to go there, it's my dream! I wanna study there, and only there. Please, Dad!"

He sighed and suddenly smiled. "If I don't let you go, you'll turn me into a frog."

Lily jumped up to hug him, squealing in excitement. "Thank you, thank you!"

"I am afraid, that for a complex magic trick like that, Lily would need to study a lot," McGonagall's harsh tone had lessened. She watched as Lily let go of her dad and turned to face McGonagall, her face shining like the sun. She'd seen this expression on kids' faces so often, but still, it never failed to make her smile. "Subjects taught at Hogwarts are at the joint of magic and science, so there is no need to worry about gaps in her knowledge. We teach Transfiguration, Potions, Care Of Magical Creatures, Charms and many others," McGonagall glanced down at her watch. "Well, thank you for the tea, Mrs. Evans, but I have a few more families in London to visit. There are written materials and inventory you will need in the letter, and also there's the address where you can find it. If you have any questions - send me an owl."

Mr. Evans moved his lips silently. Lily realised, that he was repeating word owl and giggled.

McGonagall stood up and draped her coat over her arm, not hearing Jane quietly ask her husband, "Did she say to send an owl?"

"I hope to see you soon on my Transfiguration lessons, Miss Evans," McGonagall said to Lily with a slight bow of her head and a surprisingly warm smile.

Lily blossomed in reply at once. "I am sorry I broke your pot!"

McGonagall almost unnoticeably drew out a wand from her sleeve, making everyone gasp, and promptly waved it at the fragments. Reddish-yellow shards flew up and, catching scattered earth, mustered back into its original shape. The daisy shivered in the earth.

John plopped on the sofa, staring at the peacefully sticking out flower in shock.

"It's okay Miss Evans. Goodbye," McGonagall left the living room, and Lily ran after her.

"Lily, where are you going?"

"John… can you get me some water…"

Meanwhile, Lily was afraid that their wonderful guest would disappear. However, when she flung out of the room, the old lady was still there, calmly turning around. Lily stopped in her tracks, enthusiastically looking up at the older lady.

"Tell me, is it truth?" She panted. "Or is it happening in my head?"

"It is for real," McGonagall raised her arm and shortly pressed her palm against the young girl's crown of red hair. "And it is happening in your head." They laughed and the strict professor suddenly reminded Lily of a kind, caring aunt.

"Thank you a lot!" Lily spoke, hoping that Professor McGonagall understood how relieved she was feeling at the revelation that she'd actually be going to Hogwarts.

"You are welcome, Miss Evans. I think you will make a great witch," McGonagall stepped out the door, stopped midway, and turned around again. "By the way, thank you for the milk."

Lily froze next to the door, her jaw dropping, but the Professor at School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had raised her hand to wave goodbye, her long, emerald sleeve swaying, and… disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit my Tumblr for the DM cast, questions and delicious things :)  
> http://maria-ch.tumblr.com/
> 
> My cast  
> http://seedmcast.tumblr.com/


	8. The evening at Evans

####  **July 31, 1977**

The motorbike arrived on a cosy street, which reminded him of a dark corridor, under a green roof of rustling noisy tree crowns. The sun had set already, and sweet drawling bliss was lazily spreading in the air. The warm pink evening was trembling from the crickets' crick-crack and ringing children's voices. A dog was barking somewhere, the neighbours were talking, and the smell of fried pan-cakes was wafting from somewhere.  
Sirius knew at once, which house they needed, barely seeing it from behind puffy green bushes.  
A big window on the first floor was shining with matte golden light, but cream mull curtains were interrupting the view to the street, and lazily moving in the evening air. One more window, which was looking out of the roof, was shining brightly too; roses darkening on the windowsill. The other one, just the same, was dark.  
Wild ivy stuck all over the brick house walls, which had hints of red, green and orange. Rich greens, showered with heavy rains, were hugging the cottage all around, which created an impression that it was not a house, but a kind and calm animal, looking out on the street from its refuge. Soft arrow-wood and mock orange bushes were supporting the porch, getting in there and hiding it from unwanted eyes with its big white flowers. Wild grapes were climbing the wooden prop. A wonderful strong fence of white wood was girded in a right square, but it remained almost unseen because of the platoon of Flutterby and rose bushes. There was a wide path of grey and pink stone from the fence to the door.  
A lantern was hanging next to the door. A warm orange light was dithering with the current twilight, attracting bugs, moths and fairy fireflies, fancying the young witch's garden.  
Sirius stopped and shut down the engine. A blessed silence formed around them, interrupted only by the crick-crack.  
"Welcome, my lady!" Sirius waved his hand and clapped his knee. "Brought you in the blink of an eye, as promised," he made a light bow.  
The front door opened, letting out a loud noise from the TV: male voice and applause. Sirius and Alice simultaneously turned their heads and saw a slim, not tall girl in light blue jeans and dark blue check shirt peek on the porch. Fleecy auburn hair, usually loose, was now made in a ponytail.  
As she saw, who arrived, Lily Evans lit up and ran down the steps towards them.  
Sirius smiled shortly, raising his hand in a greeting sort of way.  
Alice, sighing cheerily, jumped from the bike, almost whipping Sirius away, opened the fence door and threw herself on her friend.  
"Lily, Lily!"  
Lily caught her in the embrace. Bare sharp elbows with friendship bracelets flashed in the air, tenderness and excitement meeting each other in combined sigh.  
"Gosh, I missed you so much!" Lily closed her eyes, tightly hugging her friend and swinging her from side to side. "So much!"  
"Me too, very, very much…"  
Hugging, the friends were shifting from one foot to another, as if dancing slowly. Lily suddenly let her go.  
"Did you cut your hair?!"  
"Yea-ah…" Alice smiled shyly, touching short strands.  
Lily grabbed her friend's hand and her eyes went on Alice.  
Alice reddened and covered her hot cheeks with her hands, looking at Lily apologetically, as though she felt awkward about her own happiness.  
Lily embraced her again and laughed joyfully.  
"I am so happy for you, Alice!"  
Sirius, with his head reclined upon his hand, with a merry smile was watching the measured movements of two pairs of legs in jeans, and thinking, that, perhaps, no matter what, there won't be any better creatures on earth, than girls. Especially the ones like Evans and Wood. They're sweet, severe, warm, they have beautiful hair, they always smell nice, and also have all these adorable freckles and moles on their cheeks, and cat scratches on their arms. Their sincere purity is much more pleasant and alluring, than Blake Zabini's dirty glances. Just like a jolt of fresh air.  
"…take so long? Can imagine how worried I was?"  
"Sorry, Lily, darling, I'm sorry," Alice's voice was vibrating from excitement; she seized her hands and led her to Sirius, jumping on the way. "You can't even imagine, what happened to us!"  
"And what did?" Lily smiled.  
"We flew in the sky!" Alice rejoiced and shook them in delight so enthusiastically, that they both ended up in the rosebay bush nearby, laughing.

"Black," Lily greeted her classmate, when Alice led her through the fence.  
"Evans," Sirius saluted her with two fingers.  
"It was just amazing, Lily!" Alive was engulfed by the enjoyment. "At first I thought, I would die from dread, the wind, the speed, the motor… but then I couldn't breathe for a long moment, and it's so beautiful, so great, like a dream! When we flew above the city… the air there was like a warm haze…and we flew through this haze to the sun, and all those lights down… and clouds… I'm speechless, Lily!" Alice jumped on the spot. Sirius smiled condescendingly.  
"There were even birds flying next to us, can you imagine? And they weren't even afraid! You have to fly someday, promise you will try, it's … unbelievable!"  
Her cheeks were burning, and her small, usually shyly closed mouth was now smiling without restrain.  
And one more thing - she was looking at Sirius so tenderly, while talking, that Lily felt queasy. And his eyes were sparkling, as shameless as he was.  
Alice, without a pause, and did the habitual movement of raising her hand to stroke her hair back, and tiny diamond sadly glinted in the ring. Lily suddenly felt very sorry for Frank.  
"I've heard it already," Sirius pretended to ponder deeply and scratched his chin. "But from another girl… and on another occasion."  
"So how did you two meet at the first place?" Lily embraced Alice's shoulders, trying to keep her out of harm's way.  
Sirius almost opened his mouth, but it was impossible to out tell Alice.  
"I was waiting for the «Knight Bus» on the gas station," she blurted out. "It wasn't coming, and I was waiting for an hour or two, and I had only a couple of pounds with me, and a full purse of galleons. What's the use anyway? I would have probably stayed for the night in that disgusting place, if it wasn't for Sirius. I have no idea where he came from…," and again, she looked him that way, that made Lily to stamp her foot from the disappointment.  
"I felt that you need me, baby, and rode as fast as I could," the youth answered soulfully, looking in her eyes.  
Alice reddened, and Lily at once had a strong desire to say goodbye to Black.  
"Maybe… well, Sirius offered to gimme a ride, but then there was this muggle, big, scary, like a troll, you know? And he started to accost me, Lil! I was so scared, my knees were shaking! He called his friends, and they got in our way. But…" Alice spluttered with laughter. "All of sudden, the guy's tongue…"  
"Alice!" Sirius exclaimed, but it was too late.  
"… was glued to the roof of his mouth, and he was sorta…"the girl stopped short, because Lily stopped hugging her and let her go.  
The boy helplessly dropped his head.  
"Langlocked," Lily spoke with satisfaction, savouring each letter. Her lips quivered in a smirk.  
"Evans, cool it, I can explain…"  
Lily came up to the bike, her hands on hips.  
"Black, are you sane?!"  
"Oh no, the Prefect is awoken. Hello, Prefect!"  
"Sirius, you promised me not to bully Muggles!" Lily said with ringing voice. "You promised!"  
"So are you mad because I punished a cocky muggle, or because I broke the word?"  
"Don't juggle with words! You used magic to everyone's view!"  
"First, no one saw it!" Sirius raised a finger. "Second, trust me, Evans, they deserved worse!"  
"Who gave you the right to decide?"  
"I am seventeen already," he snapped, putting his hands in pockets and spreading legs wide. "So the power of the badge is back-strapped. I am an adult and have the right to use magic, however I want," he then suddenly waved up both of his hands and made a terrible face. "Go away, evil Badge, give us kind Lily back!"  
"The badge has nothing to do with it!" Lily clapped his hand. "The fact that you're of full age doesn't mean that you're an adult, Sirius! And if you were an adult, you wouldn't behave like a rude, uncivil baboon!"

It was a funny scene to watch: tiny Lily, who reminded her of a flower, was arguing with the guy in leather jacket and torn jeans, on a bike. Nevertheless, Alice had a bad feeling about it. She had been used to the fact that Sirius, jealous of James' attention to Lily, had been snarling at her at any cause. But right now she really didn't want them to spoil this wonderful evening by standing and squabbling.  
She peeked at her friend.  
Lily looked not as angry as disappointed. Sirius, on the other hand, was smiling carelessly.  
"Oh, come on, just leave it…" she said, touching Lily's shoulder and Sirius' palm, which rested on the handle.  
"We're not fighting!" Sirius and Lily snapped synchronously, for a moment turning to her, and then eyeballed each other. Alice thought for a second, that she heard a slash of crossings words.  
"You always bully the defenceless! I just don't get why are you so attracted to this? It is pure violence..."  
"Defenceless?!" Sirius' voice flew up, his back straightened in an indignant way. "Evans, wake up, there were five huge Muggles! Five! Defenceless…" he snorted. "I am pretty sure, that if I didn't charm that idiot, they would've attacked us and beat us up. This bloody gas station is located in the middle of a huge field. No one would even know what they would have done with me. And Alice…" he licked his lips, glancing at the girl swiftly. "I am dead sure they would have give her a ride, unless I..."  
Alice lowered her gaze.  
"Well, no one knows, how it would end if I didn't scare them!" He poked at the dash board, as if putting a full stop in the conversation.  
Lily fell silent sullenly.  
For some time only crickets' noise was heard in the garden.  
The air was vibrating with the echoes of these loud sound.  
Sirius gave up first. He suddenly smiled kindly and bowed his head, reminding Alice of a ruffled puppy, who had just eaten a couple of shoes.  
"Come on, Evans," he stretched. "It's the summer holidays! We are allowed have fun a bit. Don't be such a bore."  
"I am not a…" Lily stopped mid-sentence, not willing to start a new argument. "It's just... I don't like that you behave in such a light-minded way! Moreover now, when wizards wave their wands in muggle districts for no reason!"  
Sirius arched his eyebrow.  
"Are my ears lying, or you are scared of something, Evans?"  
"Maybe."  
"What? I decline to believe it. You're Gryffindor Prefect, a lioness!" Sirius then roared quietly, sounding very much like a lion, and stared at his classmates in expectation. "Common, kittens, feign, don't spoil the tradition!"  
The girls exchanged glances and unkindly roared in response. There was written "just get rid of us" on their faces.  
Sirius smirked pleasantly.  
"That's it"  
"I am not afraid of an attack," Lily said quietly, and Alice squeezed her palm. "I can defend myself, but what will happen to my family, when I leave to Hogwarts?"  
"Were you threatened?"  
"Not yet," Lily looked at the youth from under her brows. "I am just not fond of what's happening. At all."  
"No one likes it," Sirius mumbled darkly.  
"It feels like something terrible is about to happen," Alice cut in. "As before the thunder."  
They fell silent, each of them recalling a recent, especially beastly attack of unknown wizards in masks on a muggle family, with a small kid. Everybody was killed, and only "Death to the Muggleborn" was left written on the wall.  
The newspapers blew the trumpets for a couple of weeks, when there were around five same blasts in a few countries, approximately at the same time.  
"Okay," Lily suddenly threw back her heavy auburn ponytail and smiled, catching glimpses of her friends. "It's awfully impolite of me to keep you here. It's getting dark. Let's go inside, we have pancakes with strawberry jam," she quickly rolled her eyes, smiling awkwardly. "Dad's cooking tonight, so I hope we all stay alive."  
"Sure! I am starving, and even your dad's cooking can't frighten me," Alice grabbed her bag from the saddle.  
"Come on, Sirius!" Lily hugged Alice and nodded welcomingly.  
Sirius peeked at the watch as invisibly as possible and changed in his face.  
"Oh no-no, babies, I am constrained to apologise and make a bow. I've got to go."  
"What?"  
"Are you leaving already?!"  
" Yeap. Don't want to reach Mr. and Mrs. Potter in the middle of the night."  
"Isn't it better to wait until the morning?" asked Alice mournfully.  
"Aren't you going to the concert?" Sirius asked back, exchanging looks with Lily.  
Lily nodded approvingly, without even asking how he knew.  
Lately the "Weird Sisters" concert had been brought up in every conversation one way or another. The most important event of the season, as it was written on the posters in the Diagon Alley.  
In Hogsmeade the posters were available even before Christmas, and everyone in Hogwarts went nuts.  
Some of Lily's classmates had been living in a tent camp in the Caledonian Forest for a week now, and the especially eager ones formed groups to make the way there more enjoyable.  
The last revolutionary album, called "Your Mud Blood", fell like a mint tablet in the hissing, bubbling, tumultuous time, and only the lazy ones didn't know what reaction Myron Wagtail's songs caused in a «polite» pureblood society.  
"That's the point, we are!" Lily unnoticeably pinched her friend's elbow. "Don't think I am not glad to see you, Sirius, but…"  
"Evans, I could have never suspected that you were an avid fan."  
A second pause hung in the air.  
Lily rolled her eyes and slammed the back of guy's head. Sirius laughed.  
"Could have said! Wait a second, you impudent rascal," she run to the house. Alice stifled the sigh.  
"So, we'll see ya at the concert?" She tried her best to make it sound as careless as possible. "Our gang will be there, won't they?"  
"I think there will be so many people, that we will just…" Lily appeared on the porch, holding a plump pancake, folded into the napkin. Sirius gulped and looked at Alice. "We'll definitely meet, baby," he prevaricated hastily and gently tapped her nose, but at once withdrew his hand, since Lily rushed towards them and reached out the desired treatment. The best part about it was that there was not one pancake, but three, and in between them - a great layer of strawberry jam.  
Biting into amazingly soft and sweet dough, Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, and then started chewing.  
"Merlin, thanks, milady! I solemnly swear, that…" he bit more, "I won't touch any more fat muggle cads. Yeah…" he put the pancakes in the mouth, hid the napkin in his pocket, and turned on the engine. The bike roared. "Should I, your dedicated servant, pass something to James Potter, my great señor?" He asked indistinctly. "But just for the record, I'm not gonna kiss him!"  
Alice laughed the way that only she could. Lily indignantly looked at an extremely satisfied Black.  
"Pass your señor an ass kick," she answered sweetly.  
Sirius burst out laughing, and Alice giggled too, turning back and covering her mouth with her hand.  
"Just get out already, Black!" Lily finally said, feeling the smile jam her hot cheeks.  
Still laughing, Sirius raised the bike's step.  
"Good luck," Alice whispered.  
"And be careful," Lily muttered and crossed her arms over her chest.  
"Thank you, milady."  
Sirius turned the motorbike and, blowing them a kiss before leaving, drove onto the road.  
The girls waved at him and stood near the fence, until the motorbike disappeared behind the wall of trees.  
The moment he escaped the scene, something happened to Alice.  
She suddenly stopped smiling, her face grew oddly peaky, her eyes painfully closed, and her thin shoulders fell and shrank. Sighing in a broken manner, she slowly, almost unwittingly, turned to Lily, buried her nose in her friend's shoulder and burst into tears.


	9. Flowers and bright quilts

**Girls**

 

Alice was sitting on the bed in Lily's room, waiting for a punishment to come crashing down on her.

She had been crying for the last forty minutes, shedding tears on her patient friend's shoulder. The first wave had retreated, and now Alice was sitting on a brightly colored bed quilt, like a sleep-walker, hiccuping every now and then, cursing that day in fourth year when she was sat at the first desk in Transfiguration, and heard a hoarse, as though unknown laugh of one of her classmates, and turned around...

Alice remembered it, oh so well, as if it happened only a couple of hours ago.

She turned her head, trying to understand which boy's voice had already started to break. At this very moment Sirius Black, sitting at the last desk with James Potter, as usual, threw back his long fringe the color of a raven’s wing because it was hindering him, and laughed.  
And that's all it took.

Alice was gone.  
She then realized, with a piercing lucidity of mind, that she had fallen for Sirius Black, and almost burst into tears.  
As a matter of fact, at least three or four girls from their year were gone too, but it didn't count.  
After the mysterious events, covered with the most unbelievable rumors, beneath the Whomping Willow; James Potter and Sirius Black became some sort of massive mania. Girls were making packs, and were following them everywhere. They’d giggle sillily and hold onto each other whenever those boys passed them by.

"He is so bad…" third-years were rolling their eyes, when the conversation was about James Potter.  
"Kitty told Olivia that Sirius Black likes blondes, do you think it would suit me?"  
Alice was always highly irritated with these talks.  
This was because she, Alice, compared to other girls, had it bad. She wasn't sleeping at night, and ended up imagining different situations where she and Sirius would run into each other in an empty classroom. Or they would be detained to stay after their lessons (which was impossible due to the fact of her placid disposition and real inability to argue with teachers). And every night she was dying from sorrow, thinking that he was lying somewhere near, over the wall, and didn't even know, how much she loved him...  
Alice was letting Sirius copy her homework, imagining how grateful he would be; she was vigilantly watching what he was eating and drinking during lunch, breakfast and supper; at evenings she was sure to take such position, that he would definitely see her, which wasn't hard, since she was friends with Lily, and wherever her ginger friend was, James Potter would appear sooner or later. Therefore, Sirius was there as well. Sometimes she even thought about brewing some Polyjuice Potion, turning into Potter and spending the whole day with Sirius. She was stunned at how all these people who would talk with him, couldn't realize how lucky they were.  
She was so anxious with this pointless crush of hers, that she went far as writing him an anonymous, elaborate Valentine's Day card, stating the place and time of the meeting. However, when it was time to go down to the sand-glass in the hall, Alice had a sudden jolt in her stomach. She even had to go to the Hospital Wing. It was in fifth year, just when Sirius began going out with Marlene McKinnon, their classmate. She was a sunny, bright-eyed girl with linen wavy hair, thin arms and legs, and catching laughter. It was a violent blow. She was sure that, if Sirius would ever decide to date anyone, then it would definitely be her, Alice - sweet, shy and devotedly in love with him. And he went and made everything his own way.  
Alice had fallen in a sad perplexity and non-stop, driving mad jealousy. She even stopped communicating with Sirius and Marlene, fearing that they would notice how angry she was at them. Lily was the only person she trusted with her dark secret. Alice felt so down that she stopped studying, lost weight and stopped smiling at all.

And then the sun rose in her spiritless life - Frank Longbottom, a good-looking seventh-year with warm eyes, a touching smile and door-wide shoulders, appeared on the gloomy horizon. He had put his eye on Alice a couple of years ago, but she was too busy, too deep with her own worries to notice. Not until she found a huge rose bouquet with a note, with only "F.L." was written, on the night-stand on her sixteenth birthday. She couldn't figure out who this "F.L" was. Well until she came down to the common room, Frank was waiting for her, his elbow carelessly resting on the stairs railing. When the door above shut with a thud, he turned and smiled, as he saw the bouquet in Alice's hands.

That was how their friendship began, soon growing into something that Alice felt the great love of...

Frank was so caring and attentive to her and won her love so fast that Alice was simply amazed at how she did not notice him earlier and how stupid she was to waste two whole years on senseless laceration.

She understood that she met “the one”, and she felt awfully ashamed for her stupid crush on Sirius Black. How could he ever compare to her Frank?

Lily was saying that Alice was growing incredibly pretty. As the girl studied herself in the mirror, before yet another date, she couldn't help but agree.

This change didn't go unnoticed by Sirius. In accordance to the law of unintended consequences, he broke up with Marlene and went to "hectic bachelorhood", as Lily called it.

Although his compliments and empty talks didn't work anymore.

Now Alice could freely chat and laugh in Sirius' presence, and even condoled about his split up with McKinnon. Though Sirius wasn't very upset about it, since at that moment, he already had an affair with Karen Yang, the prettiest Ravenclaw girl, and then with someone else.

And so everything was okay. And it seemed that everything was getting better, but it didn't last long.

It happened on the exam. The test paper was done, and Alice, chewing a quill, was looking around at her classmates. Black was sitting at the desk in front of her, his head very close to the parchment. Potter was drawing something on the parchment so enthusiastically, that quill's rustle could be heard all over the class. It was the noise that caught her attention. She was about to check her work, when suddenly...Black moved a bit on the bench, pulling his shoulder blade together, kneading his back, and bent his head. His long hair slipped over his face, and his strong neck; littered with a few moles, met Alice's gaze. A black cord stood out on his pale skin.

Just a plain black cord.

Alice looked at it and, with terror, felt her heart skip a beat, and a shiver run along her skin...

And it started all over again.

The only difference was that now she had Frank. He was the one who helped her stay afloat, unaware that a storm was raging in his beloved girl's heart. It was his tender loving care that kept Alice in reality; she knew that Sirius was a pirate, with whom she could expect nothing but danger, and Frank was a serene harbor. Alice felt good and calm when she was with him. Sirius, on the other hand, scared her with all his constant pranks and tricks and loud barking laughter. Her quiet and a tad self-contained nature automatically hid her in her shell when Sirius and James burst in the classroom like a storm, or pretended to duel each other, which usually ended up attacking on Severus Snape. It was definitely not what she wanted.

But she couldn't do anything about it and only felt stuck when Sirius threw a glance at her.

And today he again stormed into her measured life off-handedly, enchanted her poor heart with bare glances and smiles, and then he was gone.

Alice sighed. It was dark in the room. The light from a beautiful white lamp was spilling like warm gold in the semi-darkness; a chain of fairy lights, which en-wreathed the head of the bed, was radiating the matte light. Plants were flashing in the dark with different smells; they occupied all the free space in Lily's room. Semi-darkness roughly outlined the ficus' dark-green leaves and fragile petal of white orchids. Because of rich juicy green, the room reminded one of an exotic forest. The smell of a summer evening was pouring into the room through an open window, mixing with the scent of fresh wood wool, which was coming from Mr. Evans' garage. It felt piercingly good and clean from all those scents and realization that it was mid-summer now, and she would be going to the concert with her best friend. At the same time, she wanted to cry from an abundance of the emotions.

Alice embraced herself and looked back when she heard the road noise. In spite of being friends with Lily for six years, she still wasn't used to her world, and unfamiliar noises like that scared her quite often. She saw a forgotten "Evening Prophet" on the windowsill, and took it.

A sinister face, as if hewn from stone, with thick whiskers, a flat nose and tiny fierce eyes looked at her. These eyes made Alice sick - it felt as though a knot of snakes started moving in her stomach. A big heading was right above the picture: "Fenrir Greyback - the leader of Werewolf Freedom movement". There was a text below. Biting lines darted in front of Alice's eyes:

"...being a werewolf is a gift, given from old magic nature..."

"...top echelon of evolution..."

"...the top of the food chain..."

"...werewolves or supermen?.."

"...need equal rights..."

Alice threw the newspaper aside and hugged her knees, looking at moving under the wind pictures with pure disgust. It seemed that some unpleasant grey draught was coming from the article. The girl knew that somewhere in the heart of her country a flywheel with the name "War" was picking up steam. But right now it seemed so far away, blurry and farfetched, that it didn't scare her, though it should. Although there were a lot of rumours, that in France people were already evacuated, and there were attacks on magic families in the middle of the night, that people were disappearing, and the terror was reigning, it was quite hard to believe in this, when there's such a careless, full of fruit smelling summer just out the window, and you're sixteen and helplessly in love.

"You okay now?" Lily asked, coming back to the room with a glass of water. The door closed, and bright colours on white lacquered door formed into a sign "I have guests", which at once was absorbed into the door and showed up on the other side of it.

Lily handed Alice the glass, in which she added a drop of Calming balsam, and joined her on the bed, tucking one of her legs under her. Alice, as always, unwittingly admired how thin and fragile Lily was, just like an orchid. She couldn't complain at her appearance, her body could fit in basically everything, moreover her face was sweet and nice... but Lily's beauty was as obvious as the beauty of the nature itself: Bright and real.

"Thanks," Alice exhaled and screwed up her face, as she took a sip. "What's that?" She smacked her lips, looking in the glass.

"Peppermint."

"I was hoping it was poison," Alice mumbled.

"Stop," said Lily.

Alice sniffed and lowered her head. Her lips reddened, and Alice shivered. She blinked, and a teardrop landed on her hand.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Lily," Alice admitted pitifully, looking at the perfectly clean table, but not seeing clearly. "I love Frank."

Lily sighed almost unnoticeably. They had discussed it so many times, and every time they came to one conclusion – the choice.

"And he loves you," she stroked her friend's shoulder. "Only a blind man couldn’t see the way he looks at you."

"I know," she moaned. "He's the best!" she touched her chest, feeling the wound, which this evening made to her, is bleeding again. "I just don't understand what it is with me…"

Her voice crinkled, like a set on the fire packet. Lily, making bed springs creak, moved closer to Alice, putting away a big plush deer, which James Potter once gave her on her birthday. She thought it was a very stupid and boring present, but then somehow she got attached to the deer. The toy was made of such a pleasant and soft material that she wanted to hug it all the time.

Lily hugged Alice, and she at once nuzzled to her shoulder, sobbing again. Her friend's compassion only heated up her infinite self-pity. Crouching in a heap, the girl, who not so long ago was cheerfully and lively chatting with Sirius in the gas station and was going to the rock-concert, raised her legs up to her chest, put her head on her friend's lap like a little girl, and burst into tears, as though someone whispered her that she would never be happy again.

Lily, on the other hand, knew that all the words and advice were unnecessary, was just stroking her head, playing with her unusually short hair and listening to mournful sobs and wails.

"It'll be okay, Alice" Lily was saying half an hour later. They were lying on the bed, facing each other, like when they were kids. Alice wasn't crying anymore, she was just pressing the ring to her lips and sometimes sniffed her red nose. Her eyes were shining in the dark.

Lily's palm was beneath the pillow, and she was hugging the plush deer. The deer looked happy.

"You'll see, it will get better. As soon as the school begins, you will see the old Black, and everything will come back to its place. He's now some superman, but you know, when he and Potter gather together, they turn to just unbearable idiots. The year will fly fast, we'll be preparing for the exams, all the thoughts will be occupied with studying, and then you and Frank will get married, and you will forget who Sirius Black is."

Alice smiled unsurely.

Lily smiled too and gently tousled her hair.

"Probably you're right," She whispered.

They fell silent, each of them thinking on their own. Alice was recalling the fairy flight above the sleeping city, and Lily – her latest, very bad argument with James Potter, which ended up with taken points, a detention and a serious fight. And it wasn't letting her go, like a thorn in a finger.

The twilight died in the dark, and it became very black in the room. The sound of the chainsaw died away, and now the room was filling with the sounds of the night: measured crick-crack, the sound of the driving by car and a dog's barking.

Bright yellow-green and rose-orange flowers, which looked like sea stars in the dark, were slowly dancing on the white door.

Suddenly they froze and boiled up, drawing girls' attention. The drops of enchanted paint created the word "Mum", and at this very moment someone knocked on the other side.

Alice jumped up and turned away, hastily wiping her face, and Lily rolled on her back and got up. A big wooden tray with the dinner came in the room.

Mrs. Evans and Lily looked a lot alike, although there were a couple of differences. Jane's hair was dark, but thick and wavy, too, and her eyes were brown. Otherwise they looked almost the same.

"Mum! It's not like we can't come down!" Lily said reproachfully.

"Lily, darling, your dad broke the chair while trying to find the cinnamon on the upper shelves, and now we just won't fit at the table," Jane carefully stepped into the room, watching the juice stay in the glass. As if to confirm it, the chainsaw in the garage hysterically squealed. Mr. Evans always grumbled when Lily fixed something with the help of magic. "So… o-oh, what's happened here?" Jane put the tray on the bed and looked at Alice, who, even though she was tear-stained, couldn't resist smiling, looking at woman's warm eyes. "Hello, Alice, what's wrong?" She looked at her daughter. "Did you two have a fight?"

"Of course not, mum. We just… watched a very sad film," Lily waved at the small turned off TV.

"Good evening, Missis Evans," Alice shrugged, hugging knees. "Looks delicious!" Her lips stretched in a smile, which suddenly made her look like a tousled sparrow.

"I'm afraid, it is not my merit," the woman meaningfully rounded her eyes. The chainsaw harshly thunked, probably meeting the iron table. "I hope we all stay alive."

Alice laughed.

Lily, who had left the room to get a jar of her favorite strawberry jam, came back to the room.

"Why wouldn't you use the magic, miss Evans?" Alice smiled, imitating the Transfiguration Professor. Lily put the jar on the tray, smiling.

"Tuni gets all nervous, when mugs, plates and spoons fly over the house," answer Mrs. Evans instead of her daughter. "By the way, why didn't you invite this good-looking boy, who came with Alice?" she wondered accidentally on purpose, generously pouring jam on the ray suns.

Alice turned her scared eyes to Lily.

"How do you know?" surprised Lily. "Did Tuni spy?"

"Do you offer to batten the windows?" Mrs. Evans, sitting on the edge of the bed, took the strawberry from the jar. "The neighbors saw him. Suppose, Mrs. Gamilton would ask me tomorrow, who came to us on this horrible motorbike. What should I say?"

Lily plopped down on the bed, grabbed a pancake and, as she took a bite, wrinkled her nose, as if pretending to ponder.

"Tell her, it was the successor of an old and blood-thirsty magic family," she offered, rolling her pancake and nicely dipping it in the caramel. "I think, she'll stop asking."

Alice laughed with low deep laughter, the kind people usually laugh with after long periods of crying. Mrs. Evans nodded approvingly, raising her pointer finger, and took from the plate a rose, buttery pancake, which she had plans for.

"Well… if so… I'll tell her," she took a bite from tasty sweet dough and licked her soft lips, just like Lily's, which reminded of a thick dab of pink paint. "By the way, Alice, this haircut suits you a lot!" It could be thought that Mrs. Evans simply touched her hair, but actually she gently stroked Wood's head, after which she winked at her and went towards the door. "And don't linger, it's already eleven,'" she reminded, peeking into the room again. "You have to get ready already."

"Okay, mum."

The door closed, and girls heard her call Petunia for dinner. They went on the street at eleven. All the neighbourhood was asleep already, and thick silence spread on the street, covered under the depthless dome, full of friable diamond crumb.

Quivering from the cold and unknown worry, the girls went down the front steps and covertly lit their wands, illuminating their way through the garden. They prepared thoroughly for their expedition to Scotland. Lily was wrapped up in a woven sweater, her schoolbag, full of clothes, was bumping her hip. Alice in a thick pullover was following her, still sniffling. The ray from her wand was suspiciously swimming from one side to another, seizing peacefully sleeping bushes from the dark.

A hedgehog suddenly run on the stone lane, and scared Alice, uttering "Oi!", stopped at her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Lily heard the cracking noise, pointed her wand and smiled, seeing the prickly animal busily dig in the roots of the mock orange. "Alice!"

The door suddenly swung open, and bright light poured into the garden. The girls looked back.

Missis Evans in a warm pink robe hastily went to the crick-cracking summer night, holding something in her hands.

"Take it with you!" She shoved them both paper packets. "It’s sandwiches and hot coffee."

"Mom, we've just eaten!" Lily hissed, hiding the food in her backpack. The paper bag rustled so loudly, that it was probably heard on the other end of the street.

"No one knows how soon you'll get there!" Mrs. Evans said, walking them to the gate. "And don't forget to send me an owl as soon as you get there! I won't sleep, bear it in mind!"

"Okay, mum," Lily knew her mom behaved unbearably carefully and she better not be argued with. "We were going to rob the Gringotts and get into some adventure on the end of the world on our way, but now, alas, it seems impossible.

They came to the road. Alice stepped to the wayside and pulled her hand with the wand.

"Lily, did you take warm clothes?" Mrs. Evans asked for the third time today.

"Yes, mum."

"And you, Alice?"

The girl jokingly gave a salute, copying Sirius' manner.

"Great," Missis Evans pressed her hands together, clearly trying to remember something. "Be very careful!" she spoke, buttoning Lily up to neck. "Don't eat bad food, don't talk with strangers, don't walk alone, and if anything…"

A bright light appeared on the end of the street, and thick darkness swiftly turned into a lilac huge bus.

As she saw it, missis Evans worried even more, and started jabbering, "…if anything, write at once, you hear me? In the end, it's on the other side of the country, we will be very worried… Lily, did you take the ordinary money?"

Lily hugged her mom and gently kissed her on the cheek.

"Yes. Don't worry, please, and kiss dad and Tuni. We will be fine, our whole school will be there."

"Knight Bus" then stopped right in front of Alice with a squeal, and lurched threatingly.

Steamy, glowing with gold windows looked at them sleepily, and girls engulfed the thirst of the trip – their first real trip, and not anywhere, but to the rock-concert! Long hoped-for rock-concert! They run to the doors. A kind-looking fatty conductor showed on the upper bus steps, opened the door and jumped on the ground. Mrs. Evans swiftly wrapped up her robes.

"Good evening, ma'am!" He raised a tad his cap, showing the round baldness. "Welcome on the board!"

"Oh no-no, I'm just seeing them off!" Mrs. Evans, hugged Alice, kissed her daughter once again, embraced her, and stepped back from the magic bus, feeling rather uncomfortable in such a close proximity to the world, to which, nevertheless, she couldn't get used to.

Before going up on the high steps, girls turned back again.

"Bye, mum!"

"Goodbye, missis Evans!"

The driver let them in.

Missis Evans was waving goodbye until the door was closed before them, and the bus set off. Then she quietly clutched her hands and went towards the sleeping house, feeling suddenly huge and unexplainable worry.

She came to the kitchen, put the kettle on the stove and started walking back and forth without thinking. She automatically looked at the window. It was closed. Hastily jumping to it, she opened it wide and just in case looked up in the sky.

Nonsense, they just had left, how could there be already an owl?

She plopped down on the soft chair and, with a head reclined upon her hand, was nervously knocking her fingers on the table.

"Welcome to the "Knight Bus", girls," the driver began, as soon as the girls came in. "This bus is for wizards and witches, who get in trouble. My name is Ernie Shunpike, your conductor for tonight, and..."

"We know, sir!" Said Alice firmly, holding out silver money, and smiled in that way, that the confused expression, barely appearing on the plump conductor's physiognomy, turned into a tender one, looking at roundish freckly face. "There are twenty two sickles."

While Alice was paying and getting the tickets, Lily looked around. It was already late, and instead of the armchairs in the passenger compartment there were beds. From passengers there were only an old swarthy wizard in a pajamas, who was reading "The Evening Prophet", with a mug of hot chocolate in his hand, and a suspiciously looking cocoon of red itchy blanket on one of the beds. Feeling Lily's gaze, the figure in the blanket moved and turned the head. Pale woman hand with black nails showed from beneath the pleats, and pulled up the itchy clothes, hiding her face, but Lily still caught a glimpse of black, shining in the dark eyes on her.

"Here are your tickets!"

Lily flinched, as she saw a yellow-ish ticket in front of her.

"Where are you going?" the conductor wondered busily.

"To the Caledonian forest," answered Alice, hiding her ticket in the jeans pocket. "Do you know, where it is?"

The conductor snicked happily.

"You're not the only ones going there!"

The girls turned around unwittingly. The man was pointing at the woolen cocoon.

"Picked her up near the Wiltshire forest, that's right! Was lying right in the middle of the road, almost overdrove her." Lily pursed her lips understandingly, Alice mumbled something, agreeing; they exchanged looks and went up the stairs after the conductor.

"Walking in the Wiltshire wilds! They say, there is the biggest amount of the Devil's Snares in England!" whispered Shunpike meaningfully.

Alice already opened her mouth to correct the illiterate, in the name of their little coalition of excellent Herbology students with Lily, but her friend slightly pinched her arm, and she kept silent.

"And where do their parents look? The girl was unbelievably lucky to meet us!" Ernie stretched out his hand to the stairs, which led to the upper deck. "Well, get up, misses. We will get there only by the morning, so you better rest."

"Every time I swear to myself, that I will never ever sit in this rattletrap again, and still do!" Alice complained, when they came to the highest deck, and the bus set off very sharply. It seemed, that some organs just couldn't keep pace with the body.

"On the other hand, we'll get there by the sunrise!" Lily noted and screwed up her face, when the go repeated again. "I hope, safe and sound."

 

_"I won't get off this windowsill, until you, Evans, my sweet angel...," James looks around at the quiet crowd of pupils, who occupied the corridor on the fifth floor. His eyes are sparkling happily, "… kiss me, right now, in front of everyone!"_

_The crowd bursts into giggles and hooting, someone is going to go after a Professor, someone hysterically asks James to get off the windowsill and not fool around. But he's standing with his back turned to the emptiness, wearing an expression of self-excellency, and expectantly looks at the girl, as white as death. Her hands, seizing the window frame, whitened from the intention…_

_"Come on!" James defiantly raises his foot and pulls back a bit. The crowd runs off to the window in the horror, pushing Lily on her back, and freezes. "I'm falling, Evans… I almost fell…" His voice sounds strange. Lily even thinks for a second, that he's serious. "And you're the only one, who can save me…" The crowd pushes her, so that she happens to be right next to the window._

_"Potter, please, stop this show, and just get down," she asks, so quietly, that he's the only one, who can hear her. Her voice breaks off from the worrying. "Please…"_

_"Just kiss me, Evans, and I will get down at once!" He objects loudly, and the crowd laughs again and screams approvingly. "Why are you such a spoil sport?"_

_"I am not a spoil sport. I'm asking you, get down…" She can barely keep calm._

_"One little kiss, Evans," he leans down to her. "Don't be so."_

_"What 'so'?"_

_"It's not such a big payment for my life."_

_Lily narrows her eyes, watching at him closely. Blushed cheeks, brown eyes with warm golden spots coyly shine. He doesn't look much like a person, who's ready to say goodbye to his life._

_"Okay," she says slowly and steps back. "If you want so – jump, Potter."_

_"What?"_

_"Jump!" Lily crosses her arms across her chest. "I don't mind. Well, go on, why are standing here?"_

_Someone in the crowd giggles, someone's voice drawls 'What a bummer!'_

_James' brown eyes darken, his face turning red._

_"What do you mean – jump?" Asks James with the voice, ringing from rage. "Jump, Evans?"_

_"Yes," shrugs Lily. She suddenly remembers, when Sirius did the same, to get a kiss from Marlene. Back then Potter was flying under the window and caught him. They laughed and forgot about it, and poor Marlene had to drink calming potion._

_"Okay then," James straightens up and, looking at her from above, lets go off the window frame. Someone gasps, hubbub goes up and down, like a wave, and freezes. Everything freezes. "Okay, Evans… Look…"_

_Lily looks, smiling condescendingly. But then some sound makes her look around for a moment. She turns her head. Heart skips a beat – leaning to the wall, stands Sirius and looks at her with dark, wicked eyes. It means, there's no one under the window._

_She turns to James in horror, but it is too late. He is already facing the emptiness._

_"My death is on your hands, Evans!" he says carelessly and, with the deafening shrieks and cries, he makes a step forward…_

 

Lily screamed and jumped up.

Alice, woken up by her yell, sat up on the bed and, opening one eye, sleepily glared at her friend.

Lily, panting heavily, was looking at the window, glowing in the moonlight , until the picture of disappearing James faded, changing into the landscape.

The bus was swaying softly on the road, jumping at the hillocks every now and then.

Unknown foreign fields, above which a deep night outspread, were rushing past the window.

"What's happened? Are you feeling bad?" Alice rubbed her eye.

Lily bundled up in the blanket.

The heart was dying to get off her chest, her breathing lost its track. James' voice was ringing in her ears.

The memory, chasing her all summer, now appeared in her sleep. Wonderful.

"No," she answered, looking at the worried friend. "Just had a nightmare… Potter on the windowsill," she covered her eyes with the palm.

"A-ah," understandingly stretched out Alice, desperately trying not to yawn. "Didn't you two make up?"

"No," Lily put her head on the pillow again, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

"I think, he's still resentful at you for that detention," Alice said carefully.

Lily sat up straight.

"I'm the one to get resentful, Alice! He put me in an awful position! I was standing there like an idiot! I was sure I would have a heart attack when he jumped!"

"Yeah, who could have thought, that there are balconies in Hogwarts," Alice noticed in the philosophic tone, beating the pillow.

"It's not funny!" Lily stared at her friend, stunned. "It was a horrible joke! And he deserved the detention!"

"Common, Lily! What would have happened, if you kissed him?"

"What?!" Lily choked. "And you, too?"

"He was in danger!"

"No, he wasn't in any kind of danger!"

"We didn't know it."

"I did!" Lily snapped.

"I was sure, that Black was guarding him under the window. He wanted to put me down? Great. He did it. Although now I have nightmares torturing me, but everything else is okay, the joke managed," her voice was quivering from anger. "I am not going to apologize, it's not my fault. If he wants – he'll say sorry on his own," she fell on the pillow and pulled the blanket above her head.

A long pause hung in the air.

"What, not even one letter for the whole summer?" Alice smiled keenly.

Lily felt stuffy, and she threw the plaid away, breathing heavily.

James Potter was glued to her for almost six years. His endless raunchy jokes, compliments heard at the entire corridor, hollers, flirting and grabbing her boobs at every opportunity made her sick. But beside this… Lily was used to the thought that James Potter liked her and his clinging flattered her.

Last semester he suddenly left her alone by starting to date Gwenog Jones, the captain of Hufflepuff Quidditch team.

To say it affected her – to say nothing at all. It hurt her in the hardest way. Of course it was pure egoism of her, and Lily sadly realized she was behaving like a dog in the manger, but… a little jealous snake stung her, every time it saw Potter go side by side with that girl, or when – even worse – she saw them snogging into oblivion.

Lily was torturing herself for almost half a year, but when Potter suddenly broke up with Gwen and started following her again, the old same irritation embraced her again.

She was terribly lost and could not understand what she felt towards Potter. Also she was scared that a terrific story would repeat and Potter would behave, like that rascal, Edgar Bones, about whom Lily forbid to think ever again.

It was all awfully messed up and led to the fact that Potter and she had a huge quarrel right before the summer holidays, and now she didn't know if they would ever patch it up. Surely he was very mad at her and now would definitely leave her alone.

Alice, being her best friend, of course knew what was disturbing her soul. That's why she asked. But Lily totally didn't feel like spilling her soul, when the dream was so fresh and bright, just like the smile of the Gryffindor Seeker, so she just turned away, drawing the blanket up to her ears, and simply answered, "None."

 


	10. Sunny Attic

####  **Boys**

As soon as a short stone fence ran along the road, and Sirius finally saw a long hoped-for house under a bright tiled roof, peace at once reigned in his soul – as if he had drunk a spoon of mead.

He stopped the motorbike at roundish wooden gate and shut down the engine. A huge old oak, which was hiding the Potters' house from storms, gales, and foreign eyes, was quietly rustling. In the house, semi-shadowed by the fence and thickly grown garden, the light was on, a sign of welcome – on the first floor, where was the kitchen, and on the second one, in Mr. Potter's study.

Sirius inhaled the air, well-known since childhood, closed his eyes for a second, and then quickly put down the footrest, dismounted the bike, and pushed the gate.

_"…they fall on the grass under an oak's thick shadow and, with a crunch, sink their teeth in pieces of waffle house made in the cake shop called 'Hansel and Gretel'._

_High grass rustles and smells sharply of summer juice; somewhere nearby a bee buzzes. Oak's leaves are gleaming with all the hues of green, they torment, like a green sea. The sunlight spills through the leaves in blinding thin splashes – right on the face. The waffle is so good, the boys want it to never end._

_James is lying beside and chewing his waffle loudly, his arms wide-spread, when he suddenly asks, "Sirius, have you ever realized that you're alive?"_

_"What?" Sirius asks in surprise. "How did you say that?"_

_"Alive! When everything is so great and cool, and you are just…" James waves his hands and helplessly sighs, but Sirius gets what he means._

_They are right in the middle of the summer, they have amazing food, third year is waiting for them, they're so young, and there is so much to happen._

_"Well…"Sirius sharply bites a waffle. "Probably."_

_Suddenly James gets up with a battle cry and jumps upon Sirius._

_"What are you doing, idiot?" He laughs, spitting the waffle and choking on laughter._

_"I'm al-ive!" James yells, and Sirius thinks that, yes, he is indeed crazy. But his friend's fun passed to him, too, and Sirius fights with him jokingly. pummeling each other, laughing and spitting the grass off, they roll head over heels on a flat ravine, where the Potters' house is standing, and they are in wild, full of crickets, colours and scents of grass, which goes down and down, to the very Ipswich, cut in two by a shining strip of a river._

_They fall on their backs, and laughing overheated July sky is swaying above them. After falling down, it seems they are dashing upwards, to the endless clear cerulean._

_"Have you ever been this alive?" James asks, catching his breath._

_"Like now?" he specifies and with hoarse gurgling spreads his arms and legs on the grass. "No. I have never been this dead."_

_"I am alive," James says barely audible, watching swallows and swifts fly with a terrific speed in the sky. He wants to them. Wants to fly. "I'm so alive, that I want to swim!" he pushes Sirius' leg and runs on the downhill to the river._

_"The last one is a stinky troll!" James yells while running, and Sirius, setting off from the grass, flies after him. "They push each other, fight, but still run together…"_

Sirius closed the gate and froze, hearing a horrible sound, like a fight for dear life.

The battle developed somewhere deep in the garden, from all appearances, in a little stone shed, where the Potters kept all the junk, and where he and James spent their childhood.

Sirius carefully moved a branch of an elder bush and looked in the shed.

Suddenly a loud crack and scared human voices resounded in there, then something broke, deafeningly banged, and green smoke blew from a small round window.

A yell of pain and desperate swearing, and finally James, even taller and more angular than last year, fell from the tiny brick house on the outside and kicked the door, as though there was a flock of mad rhinos.

"Damn these bloody pieces of glass!" the door hit the lock hard, and with a sad squeak opened again. The shed looked at the master with its dusty semi-darkness, as though saying, "Your fault!"

James exhaled angrily, got a better grip on an unsteady tower of boxes, full of time-turners, and carefully went on the overgrown with grass path.

Sirius, seeing him, gladdened and almost run towards his friend with a yell, but then the curiosity won, and he stopped, leaning at the gate – you don't see every day such an entertaining scene, as Prongs, working without magic.

Square glasses slid to the tip of his nose, and he couldn't fix it, so James was walking extremely carefully, feeling the path with his sneakers, supposedly fearing to step on a gnome or knarl. Disheveled hair gathered, probably, all the spider's web, which could be found in the shed, on the top of his head a huge spider was busily moving its legs; judging by the appearance of smoking stained jeans, they happened to be a biggest victim of the potion, which provoked the explosion.

Apparently, the change of the scents was way too sudden – James, who had inhaled dust, stumbled, because he was struck by an aroma of hydrangea, so he loudly breathed in and sneezed so hard, that the glasses fell on the grass, the spider in terror jumped on a nearby branch of an apple tree, and boxes with a deafening thud fell on the ground, making the fragile insides of it fall out. Broken time-turners at once started to disappear and appear again, clicking and ringing. Aghast, James began stepping on them, as though they were running away cockroaches, but then one of the boxes, left in his hands, fell on James' foot, and he, pouring his pain on it in the most inappropriate words, kicked the box so hard, that it, flying through entire garden, with a clanging noise landed at the exact spot, where Sirius' head was two seconds ago.

"Nice to see you, too, Prongs!" Sirius yelled, making time-turners stop with a wave of his wand.

James, who was trying to find his glasses the entire time, looked up, hearing his voice, and straightened up.

"Padfoot!"

"Labour transformed a human from ape," said Sirius, smiling, and came up to James, widely spreading his arms. "But there's no way anyone can transform a deer out of you!"

James, smiling widely, jumped towards him and grabbed in such an overwhelming hug, that even raised him a bit.

"Hello, Padfo-o-ot!"

"Hi" Sirius said in a constrained voice and sighed, relieved, when James let him go. "Damn you, sturdy!" He embraced James' neck and with force tousled his hair.

James, smiling, at first untangled his hair, but then tousled it again by force of habit.

"The last letter was in June, man! What's up? I thought you fell from the broom and were dying somewhere in the outskirts of Ipswich!"

"Father sent Hermes to Asia, so I was totally out of touch with the world,' he smiled, rubbing the end of his neck. "And I'd fall from the broom only if the world turned upside down!"

Sirius wasn't wrong, James indeed became taller and more mature for last months. The determinative factor was, probably, regular long Quidditch games with son of the baker, Hans…and gushing glances from his sister Gretel.

"Tell me, Jim, are my eyes lying, or did you decide to break your wand and live a hard Muggle life?" asked Sirius and gestured to the ruin, where here and there disappearing and re-appearing time-turners flashed up. "Look, boxes and all… are you mad?" he asked sympathetically.

"Ah, this…" he screwed up his face."Mum found a laundry basket while cleaning."

"It explains everything."

"And when she emptied it, something fell from it…"

"Eyes of the unicorn, life-time supply of cannabis, naked Veela?" Sirius, already smoking the cigarette, offers James a package and the lit up wand.

"Worse," said James, drawing at cigarette. "Lady Morgana's Secrets ", he exhaled the smoke, craning his neck. At every word a tiny cloud of smoke escaped his lips, like a bitterness over prematurely destroyed magazines. "The entire pile!"

Sirius laughed huskily, fuming, like a dragon.

"It would have been a different matter, if there had been only mine!" to let out his boiled anger, James kicked a gnome, who was trying to crawl unnoticed to raspberry bush. "I haven't seen a half of them! Dad not only didn't confess, but also took my wand and almost kicking my ass sent me to this fucking abode of evilness.

Suddenly a horrific crack and loud human yell resounded behind them.

"What's that?" Padfoot's smile didn't leave his lips yet, but grey eyes already flashed alerted, and his hand dashed towards the pocket.

James looked at the shed again, and drew on in the cigarette.

"Not 'what', but 'who'. It's me."

"What?" Sirius gave his friend such a look, as if he doubted his mental health.

"Me," James confirmed calmly. "I have spent hours on trying to get away from this shed. Time-turners," he explained to the questioning look of Sirius'. "They're all broken and send me five minutes back. And every five minutes I meet myself, get scared and throw at myself this bloody stinking potion. And as soon as I leave the shed, I have to sneeze or stumble over something, drop my boxes, and - hop! – the shed again. I'm about to go mad, it's a hell…cut the laughter!"

Howling from laughing, Sirius fell under apple tree's trunk. Suddenly a sound of breaking glass was heard, shed's window burst, and thick green smoke belched outside.

"It's time. Give it to me," James took Sirius' wand, and with a short wave made all time-turners fly back to the boxes in a friendly pack. After that he waved the wand once again, and mumbled, "Evanesco!"

The boxes disappeared with its contents, the door blew open, making them turn around, but… no one went outside.

The silence fell.

"That's why I live alone," Sirius said with a philosophical tone, drying tears, on their way to home. "No one touches my "Secrets", so I throw them all over the place," he grabbed James' shoulders. "Come to me for this summer, Prongs? My place is great – subterranean sauna, a bar, empty house, a good-looking Muggle girl instead of a stupid elf. ''Mr. Black, Gosh, you as though appeared out of nowhere!'', "Mr. Black, I, maybe out of my mind, but someone clanks chains at night!'', "O-oh, Sirius, you are reading my mind!''." At last words James pulled out the cigarette from his mouth, and gave his friend a merry suspicious glance. Sirius grinned, pressing his palm to the chest. "Seriously, Jim, come to me, we'll have fun!"

"If it's so great, then why do you come to us every Sunday to eat?" James smacked his back, opening the door, leading to the kitchen.

Sirius didn't answer, because at that moment he inhaled the scent of fried meat and soup, and all his thoughts and feeling melted into dreary rumbling, coming from stomach.

Dorea was sitting at the kitchen table and fixing clothes. She changed her beautiful, but not comfortable dress to big cloak from creamy silk, painted with the thinnest tracery of irises.

A window, which lead to the garden, was opened, and an elder branch, which strew the table and basket with threads and needles with tiny white flowers, was looking inside of it. Blowing in window warm wind was worrying curtains from white muslin and was airing petals.

On stone stove behind her back developed an entire performance, a pot, exhaling divine aroma of fresh soup, in starring role, as well as a knife and board. Softly hitting the board, the knife was cutting vegetable and sending them to the pot, and big wooden spoon was drawing graceful circles in the soup. Pepper pot and saltcellar were flying above this measured work, like two plump bees.

A radio receiver was quietly mumbling on kitchen cupboard:

«…resistance was suppressed. Aurors used silver bullets and needles as weapons. The source, who wished to stay anonymous, affirms, that this is not the last organized protest of diseased by lycanthropy in Brentwood, and in future the wave will spread to neighbour lands. Live report specially for the wave "Merlin's Echo", special correspondent Charlie Cock from north Brentwood…»

Three-coloured cat, spread on the wooden windowsill, angrily moved her tail, when a branch caught her, affectedly turned in the sleep to the other side, and with a short 'meow' fell in the garden.

Doreas looked at now empty windowsill with a smile, and then set her eyes on sewing again.

The grass behind the window began rustling – the cat went to gnome hunt. An owl hooted on a tree. Apparently, an order for Charlus. Twentieth or thirtieth clap sounded at the garden.

Dorea sighed deeply, pursing her lips.

Well, they found magazines with naked witches, big deal. What is so surprising about it? Boys are boys. As if Charlus didn't have stuff like this at his age. And a couple of years ago Jim and Sirius fed salamander with a pack of exploding pepper, lizard sneezed, and the room with the toilet was blown away by the explosion. And what? But even then he wasn't this angry.

And today…

Witch sighed again.

In her opinion, the boy could get away with this by plain cleaning of the house.

Radio crackled with a unobtrusive melody, and an advertisement block began – exaggeratedly enthusiastic voice of announcer was lauding amazing possibilities of broom "Nimbus".

The grass I the garden rustled again – but this time loudly and measured, and Dorea didn't even have enough time to raise her head, when the door burst open, making her jump.

"Mum, we have a guest!" James yelled, closing the door.

"My dear God, Sirius!" Dorea threw up her hands, when a tired, covered with dust boy followed James to the kitchen. "Hello, darling!" she rushed towards them.

Sirius, smiling, made a step toward the short witch, and at once appeared in a tight hug. Aroma pf the soup, freshness and something worrying, female, maternal surrounded him. He hugged the witch and closed his eyes.

Merlin, how much he would pay for this kind and loving woman become his own mother. He swallowed hard ans smiled, when she let him go.

"Merlin's beard, you're so thin!" Dorea mumbled, squeezing Sirius' face with her soft palms and looking at him on the light. "And you have circles under eyes. Do you sleep well? You shouldn't have moved from us, and I said back then… oh, sit down at the table, I'll feed you…" she tok her wand. Clean plates, ready, flew from the cupboard. "Yes, now… James, put down the bun, you haven't eaten today, I'll feed you both, right now…"

The entire kitchen was filled with waves of long sleeves of white airy cloak and clinging of the dishes, which, as always at Dorea's presence, was becoming alive and was flying around eaters, like a bunch of crazy waiters.

They heard steps in the corridor – Charlus Potter in dark blue home cloak above a shirt and trousers came in the kitchen. He seemed even more grey-haired and exhausted that in last month, to Sirius.

"Welcome back, honey!" Dorea put her cheek forward for him to kiss.

"Dora, what an amazing scent, what is it? Roast meat?" even his voice was tired. "I'm starving."

Turning to the table he noticed the guest.

"A-ah, prodigal son came back?"he smiled, squinting his smart, light-brown eyes behind the glasses. Sirius got up and shook his hand. "Hello, Sirius. Everything's okay? We haven't seen you for a long time."

"Good evening, Mr. Potter."

"Son," Charlus sat down, glancing at James meaningfully. "How did your day go?"

"Awesome, dad," James answered in a voice, ringing from indignation, looking at his dad's eyes, and then suddenly threw up his hand, catching a saltcellar. "What about yours?"

Charlus gleefully flashed his eyes.

"It seems, today I have saved the Bones' family life," he said to Dora, who was putting the plate in front of him. The woman froze at this pose. James and Sirius exchanged glances. "I was fixing a broken time-turner, left by the will to Bones, and then, imagine, I was thrown to Middle Ages! In pyjamas and slippers. I appeared on some square, people were standing, in the middle there's a bonfire, and a man in mask reading a sentence. As I heard surname 'Bones', almost lost my head, but at the time realized to yell, 'Praise to Merlin!' and run away. They all run after me, and that sweet lady with surname Bones had enough time to Apparate. Amazing! Just amazing!" he sniffed, not noticing the opened mouths of his listeners. "Yes, it smells delicious, Dora. Delicious."

Sirius punched the pillow under his head, and hurt his hand at something solid and sharp.

"Prongs, since when do you sleep with school books?" he asked, drawing out an old copy of 'History of Quiddditch'.

Sirius looked through the book, and a photo fell on his chest.

"A-ah," he drawled understandingly, looking closely at the photo. A girl, pictured in it, cheerfully turned around, throwing up her fire-red hair, and severely pursed her lips, when saw, who's taking the picture. "Agreat shot, maestro."

James tried to get the photo back, but Sirius jerked his hand away, and pretended he wanted to throw the picture of Lily at the window.

"Now I see why you sleep with this book…"

"Give it to me, jerk!" James tried to get back the photo, laughing.

"Prongs, did someone tell you, that it's unhealthy?" James jumped up to his feet, but Sirius swiftly hid the picture under the pillow.

"It's unhealthy to be such a nosey parker," the other noticed, teasingly waving his wand. The photograph flew from under the pillow and on its way flipping his nose.

James' room was on the second floor, in the attic, which was bathed in sunlight at day, and had an amazing view at glimmering Ipswich, lying at the bottom of Godric's Hollow, at night. The ceiling was sharply cut, repeating the form of the roof, and Sirius, lying on the bed, could easily see a bunch of school photos, posters and cutting from "Mysteries of Morgana", which James stuck the wall upon his bed.

It always smelled nice of wood in the room, and there were always Jerry Lee Lewis songs playing. James had a huge collection of records, and they all, even very expensive ones, were scattered at the floor, bed and table, bringing a note of art to his room's chaos – Muggle clothes, mixed with school robes, were hanging on the chair, wardrobe's door, bed's back-rest, lying on the floor, next to empty packages of 'chocolate frogs' and issues of magazine 'Pick a broom'. On the walls were posters of Roderick Plumpton, Gwenog Jones, team "'Tutshill Tornadoes', bands 'Weird Sisters' and 'The Beatles', as well as the banner of Gryffindor, with the lion standing on its back paws. As if in the contrast the entire mess, a clean, well-cared-of broom was decorously standing in the corner, wood shining, twig to twig.

Sirius looked at James – he was trying to find a place for the picture among books on the shelf.

"By the way, I saw Evans today," said Sirius, drawing in on the cigarette and wryly looking at his friend's reaction.

As expected, after these words his back straightened and he turned… but swiftly put a careless mask on, came up to the bed, on which Sirius was lying, stepped over it and sat on the windowsill, next to an opened window. It seemed, the second floor above sharply going ravine wasn't scaring him a bit.

"M-mh… and how's she? Has grown tits already?" finally James asked nonchalantly, picked up a piece of paper, fallen from the book, and started making a crane.

Sirius drawled the pause. He liked to watch James crunch his fingers from badly hidden impatience. Sirius knew, that his friend was bursting to know every little thing about their meeting, beginning with the circumstances, which knocked them together, and finishing with Evans' t-shirt colour.

This puppy-like devotion to one and only girl began to make Sirius laugh. And sometimes really irritate – especially when he was woken up in the middle of the night, because James, opening the map and lighting up the wand, was staring like an idiot at the spot with the girl's name, who was it the room in front of theirs, having a tenth dream.

"Alive and well," finally he deigned to answer, and had a drag on the cigarette.

"How did you two even met?" Jealousy boiled in Prongs' voice.

"I run into Alice Wood, and she was going to her place."

"Did you talk about me?

"With Alice?"

James kicked him, and Sirius laughed hoarsely.

"With Evans!"

"No, but I think she's no longer mad at you for that nice thing with jumping out the window."

James unwittingly sputtered with laughter.

"Yeah, it was funny."

"Mhm," Sirius laughed too, remembering round, like galleons, Evans' eyes, when James made a step.

"How do you know she's not mad? Did she tell you?"

"Well, I came back from there alive. Could've been hanging on some branch. She could do that. By the way, she said hi".

Milk-white moon light was pouring in the room. Suddenly bats flew by the window at enormous speed, and in the blink of an eye they were above Ipswich. James watched them off, and when a paper crane rustled near his ear, he caught it, even not looking, and was going to rumple it, but at the last moment he released it – old potion essay flew to conquer the sky.

Sometimes, when Sirius stopped being mad at Lily for being at Prongs' head all the time, thought about stubbornness and persistence of his friend. But really, for how long has he been in love with her? Five years? Six? Evans was so openly turning up nose at him all these years, that any other would have given up.

But not James. He was as stubborn at his wish to get Evans, as she was stubborn to kick him at the moon.

Sirius threw the stub through the window.

One day these two definitely get married.

A new song started.

"By the way, Prongs, do you know where our excellent pupils are going?" Sirius threw his arms behind his head, with great pleasure getting more comfortable.

"Where?"

"To 'Weird Sisters' concert! Can you imagine? I can see this: Evans and Wood in leather jackets, dancing, yelling and… what's up, Prongs?"

James, hearing this news, changed in his face and looked at Sirius in mixture of distrust and horror.

"One more time… where did you say Lily's going? On the concert? Rock-concert?"

"Yeah, I think I said so."

"Are they out of their mind?!" James jumped up from the windowsill – bed springs jumped, as soon as he was on the floor. Sirius was almost bounced up to the starts.

"Alone, on the rock-concert…but there…" James tousled his hair. "Are they insane or what?!

Sirius, with displeasure peered at his friend, beat the pillow, and calmly lied back.

"It's on the other end of the country! What if they get into trouble? It's not a school party, it's a real concert, they'll be crushed into dust!"

"They won't!" Sirius threw, relaxed.

"Maybe they won't be, but there'll be these morons with these…" James screwed up his face, and crooked his fingers. "Hands!"

"Look who's talking!" Sirius said with the most serious face and laughed, seeing James' expression.

James jumped to his feet, grabbed the pillow from beneath his head and pretended he wanted to smother Sirius, but at the last moment he suddenly unclenched his hands.

"What? " Sirius laughed, returning the pillow, stumbled upon James' look and started waving his hands, rising up. "No-no-no, Prongs, don't even think, first, I've just came here, I'm exhausted and I don't want anything, and second, we don't even know…"

"Yes!" James grabbed Sirius and he pulled him close. His eyes flashed in a familiar stubborn fire. "That's what we'll do! We'll go there! Tonight! Right now!" He let Sirius go, and he fell on the fillow, deeply sighing and closing his eyes.

Meanwhile James rushed towards the wardrobe and seized an old school bag.

Sirius sat, putting his feet on the floor.

"Why spend time?" James was throwing some things to the backpack. "Why wait till tomorrow?" We'll go this minute!" He swiftly closed the bag. "I can't sit there and think about where's she and who's she with! And anyway, we were going. We'll be there one day earlier, otherwise Wormtail'll die from solitude."

"If we are flying on the motorbike, we'll need to tank up," Sirius demonstratively turned out his pockets. James stopped rooting in the wardrobe . "Do you have Muggle money?"

"No, I've spent everything on Lee Lewis"

Sirius gave his hair a smooth.

"Padfoot, how come? You have more gold than there's sweets in Honeydukes!"

"I bought a patty," Sirius informed simply.

"And who's the biggest deer from us? Okay, we'll think of something." James began taking his home t-shirt off. "Do you even know where's this wood?"

"You can't Apparate there. "

"What do you mean 'can't?'" From the collar of fresh t-shirt appeared tousled head of Prongs'.

The glasses fell on the floor.

"It's a magic wood, historical landmark, all that merlin rubbish."

James hemmed.

"In addition, I think if you could Apparate there, Wood wouldn't need to wait for the "Knight…knight…"

They stared at each other.

Music as if became twice as loud. Slowly their faces melted in the same sly and excited smiles.

Sirius was smiling wider and wider, and it made him look more like his second self.

James loudly snapped his fingers and high-fived Sirius.

"Brilliant, Padfoot!" he clapped his shoulder and grabbed the backpack, opening the door. "Easy and brilliant! C'mon!"

Sirius, rubbing his hands, jumped on his feet.

"After you!" James bent in a joking semi-bow, Sirius, already in the jacket, with a laughter pulled his head down, so that James' glasses fell for the third time for the day.

The guy laughed, grabbed them, and, with a wave of a wand, made music stop.

"Where are you, boys?" Dorea wondered, when they went down the stairs loudly, while she was going up – to sleep. She had a cup of hot chocolate and a plate with home-made cookies.

"Everything's okay, we're going to the rock-concert," James said softly, turning his mom in a dance sort of way, while Sirius could easily slide down and undo the spell-lock.

"What concert?!"

"Oh, the small one!" James waltzed Dorea in the corridor, unnoticeably appearing next to Sirius. "Don't worry, it's really close, we'll be back soon!"

"What do you mean 'close'? What do you mean 'soon'?" Dorea tightly closed her eyes, shortly shaking her head, as if everything could go back to normal at this. "James, no, I'm not letting you!"

"Of course you are!" James said in a authorative tone. "But so much time will be wasted on agreement, and we don't have it!"

"For Merlin's sake, James, in the middle of the night?!"

"When else?!" James asked, repeating her tone, and at once warmly smiled at her and kissed his mother on forehead, already jumping on the street. "Everything'll be fine!"

"James Potter, stop this right now, I didn't let you go anywhere!" according to the tone she said it with, Dorea understood that stand in boys' way now give her the same result as trying to boil up the sea with a spell. She run after them, still holding a mug and a plate.

"Of course you didn't! I run away!"

"James!" exclaimed Dorea desperately, not knowing what else to say.

"I adore you!" Sirius was already standing near the road, James, going aback, was blowing her kisses. "Tell Dad I escaped through the window and flew away!"

"Did you at least take changeable clothes?"

"I did!"

Sirius grabbed James' collar.

"You ready, Prongs?"

James sharply breathed in and looked at Sirius. His eyes were shining, a wild smile dancing in his lips.

"Let's go, damn it!"

Sirius waved his wand, and they Apparated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for the Chapter: Jerry Lee Lewis - Wild One


	11. One bed for a werewolf

When Remus left the house with a backpack afleet his shoulder, the deepest night was reigning the street.

The village was quiet.

Above the porch of their small house, the old forged lantern on a bracket was smiling misteriously, hidden in the foliage of a maple tree.

Remus looked even paler than usual.

His face was haggard, as if he has recently suffered a terrible poisoning, the deep dark shadows lay under his brown eyes, but despite all that, he felt elated.

After running down the porch, he stopped, deeply breathed in the decrescent night, stretched and mechanically glanced at the moon.

It was as round and yellow as usual, like a sticker that was pressed onto the velvet sky with a thumb, but it could not harm him anymore.

The night of the 31st July was inclining towards the morning of the August 1st, and Remus was out of danger for the endless twenty plus days.

These were his favourite minutes - when he could look at the moon and actually see it.

He stepped on the path, but instatntly heard the door creaking and the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Did you take the money?" asked Marcus Lupin, leaving the house right after his son.

He seemed so young, and they looked very much alike.

However, the treads of gray were already laying upon the hair of Lupin-senior, and he was limping on his right leg, frowning when he had to step on it, and was trying to walk faster and more agile than he could afford to.

Despite the late hour, he was wearing his pretty faded and worn out hunting outfit, as well as the pair of tall boots.

Long light hair were put into a pony tail, just like the one he used to wear in his youth.

Only that youthful hairstyle and the fit body of a man, who spent the majority of his life in the forest, related him to the scared 17-year-old boy, who alone picked up small Remus from the St. Mungo Hospital after his young precious wife died during childbirth and brought him here, to the poor muggle settlement on the border with the Wiltshire.

Since then his face as if faded, got worn out and lost all appeal - like a frayed canvas, from which all the colors were sucked out.

"Yes, I did," Remus turned around, and, walking with his back forwards, showed his father a small tinkling pouch.

"It's enough for me"

"Maybe you'll change your mind and not risk that much? You're still very weak."

Marcus was extremely worried, but he evidently did not want it to show, and was trying to treat the case as easy as his son did.

"Only a few hours have passed. Don't you want to wait at least until the morning?" he insisted.

Smiling patiently, Remus stopped and turned to his father, adjusting the backpack's strap that got worn-in his shoulder. He has heard all these arguments at least three times today.

At least, since his ears became human-like again.

"Oh, not again, dad! I'm not a little kid. Moreover, all my friends are there already," he impatiently pointed his finger somewhere behind his back.

_« "... Remus, darling, why don't you go for a walk? The weather is wonderful. You barely spend any time outside and you look so bad", — strickly says soft as a pillow, old Amadea Lupin. "It's not good at all."_

_Remus casts a long look in the window and sees the cropped hair top of Toby Simmons - the nasty boy with protruding ears and bony legs._

_He and some other guys are playing rounders not far from his house._

_Last week they started to howl, when Remus came out of the grocery store._

_"I don't feel like it, grandma", - he says and closes his book.»_

They were looking at each other.

Marcus - anxiously, Remus- calmly, but in the identical eyes the request bordering with a plea was splashing,

And Marcus gave in first.

"Oh well!" all of a sudden he got merry and clapped his son on the shoulder.

"You are a grown young man, I will not forbid you, but if something - I will come instantly, got it?"

"If you will start feeling worse, Remus, you must..."

"Of course, dad, I will contact you immediately," finished the sentence Remus, thinking, however, that he would not make his father travel with that bad leg, even if he would be dying.

"If so, have a nice trip," saying that, Marcus gave his son a tight embrace, desperately praying for his safety along the way.

He understood that he simply could not, he did not have any right to reject his son such a tiny merriment, while his peers are constantly going around to such concerts, keeping up their friendship, dating and living their lives to the full.

But at the same time he understood, that it would be easier for him to run a marathon without a cane, than to let his child go who-knows-where, when he just came to his senses.

Literally.

"See you, dad!" Remus patted him on his thin back and let go of the embrace.

"And go to sleep, don't wind yourself up!" saying that, he ran up the serpentine path, hidden within the tall grass and leading to the road. Couple of times he turned around, waving to his father, and then got out of sight.

And for a long time Marcus Lupin remained standing next to his deserted house.

Remus pulled out his wand and stretched it next to an absolutely empty road.

He has barely done it, when the two milk-colored headlights blinked in the distance.

The silence of the night was torn apart by the sound of the engine.

His hand was still stretched out, when the bus within seconds skipped the distance of couple of miles, and braked next to Remus as suddenly, as it would if crashing into a wall. After that it shook its sleepy conductor out on the road.

"Go-ood evening..." yawned Ernie Shanpike, tugging his jacket, - Welcome to...

"Hey, Ernie," Lupin shook his warm and heavy after sleep hand and got on the first step.

"Ah, Remus!" the conductor awoke, recognizing one of his most frequent customers,

"Come in, come in, I'm afraid, we've only got space left on the top floors. It's a full house tonight!"

Remus gave money to Ernie looking around the warm, smelling like petrol and chocolate salon.

There was very little space around indeed - the trunks, bags and backpacks were everywhere, and between them - the figures of sleeping wizards, someone's legs, hands, and all over that- the mourning of the guitar, the laughter and the snoring.

"... and everyone is going to Caledonian forest! Alone, without parents, can you imagine that!"

"I can," Remus grabbed the back of the nearest bed- not to fall when the bus sharply took off.

The girl lying on that bed angrily pulled the scratchy plaid out of his fingers and turned around.

"Sorry," Remus got up holding on to the handrail.

"I'm also going there."

Ernie looked at Remus as if he has just caused a deadly insult on him, and put the ticket in his hand.

Remus started moving between the beds towards the staircase leading upstairs.

All of a sudden, the tiredness so huge and pressing got to him, that he thought he could easily fall asleep even in this hellish bus - he only needed to get to the bed.

He absolutely did not want to think about last night - the body was still aching as if for the last few days he has been doing lots of weightlifting.

And the smells- Merlin's beard, they were following him like a swarm of annoying insects.

He felt even smells he'd choose not to...

Unexpectedly there was a burst of loud laughter next to him, and by force of habit, Remus twitched and turned.

The big loud-voiced company located in the back of the salon, and Remus has immediately recognized the fire-red hair of Prewett twins among them.

Forgetting the tiredness, he moved in their direction.

Gideon Prewett was playing something of "The Weird Sisters" on the guitar.

The girls were laughing, the guys were discussing the latest quidditch match.

They moved a few beds together, so the place was like a rookery now, and all of them were lying there as a drunk-cigarette-singing pile, putting their legs on each other, kicking and squeezing - basically, behaving as usual.

Here and there the sound of butterbeer cans being opened was heard.

The hippie girl with long dark hair that was caught up on her forehead with a leather strap, was loudly arguing about something with Benjy Fenwick, actively gesticulating. Remus has recognized her - Emmeline Vance of Ravenclaw .

Fenwick was grinning at her lazily and was sipping a beer, and right next to him curly Dorcas Meadows of Ravenclaw - from the last graduating class - and some blond guy were sucking and smacking, being more and more awkwardly mislaid on Fabian Prewett, who had no interest in anything, except Marlene, who was already tipsy and was either laughing or crying to the joke Gideon has just told.

The magiс lights, which were quite popular among Hogwarts' students lately, were soaring above the kids' heads, somehow unsteadily, just like a swarm of drunk fireflies.

The company was attracting a lot of disapproving looks by the sleepy passengers and their pointless requests of silence.

"Hey guys, look! It's Remus!" Marlene was the first to notice Remus, she jumped up on the crumpled disheveled bed, showing off to the salon her slim thighs in pajama shorts, and started waving her arms invitingly as if their company was an island, and Remus - the passing ship.

"Remus, _Remu-us!"_

The wizards sleeping along the side walls of the salon turned around with displeasure.

Fabian did not miss a chance and pinched Marlene's butt, and has immediately received a kick with a knee for that.

Beautiful light-brown-haired Mary McDonald turned around with hope in her eyes, but once she saw Remus Lupin being alone, and not in a company of James Potter, she has smiled at him with barely noticable disappointment and just waved.

She was wearing a t-shirt with the emblem of the "The Weird Sisters": "W" and "S", designed as two crashed into each other lightnings. Just like the ones the twins were wearing.

"Mister Lupin, why are you wandering about after the curfew?" strechedly said Benji in a florid tone, and, smiling impertinently, streched his hand out to Remus.

"Looking after you, Benj!"

"The night has come to verse of farewell now, we all were gloomy, our mood was dark," - loudly proclaimed Fabian, solemnly salutting his butterbeer can to Remus.

Around his head there was a clumsily tied bandana, so his red hair was sticking out in all directions.

"We did not know whom we should vow, and our smiles held the sadness mark..."

"But then, as ray of sun, we saw the friendly eyes, our mate has come and filled us up with lively plans!" - Gideon, as usual, has supported his brother's rhyme. – "Because he, scoundrel, came in time of the sunrise, and sunshine streamed right through his holey pants!"

Laughing, Remus has shook hands with each of the twins.

"Don't tell us you are also going to the concert!" Gideon widened his eyes.

"Because if so, we'd have to behave properly!" anxiously added Fabian.

"Are you going to leave us after classes for fighting-smoking?" asked Gideon jokingly, fingering the strings.

"And also for fucking, walking, and finally, godlessly drinking?"

"You are disgusting today!" infromed Marlene, simpathetically patting Fabian on his head, and hiccuped rather loudly, laughing after that.

"Do whatever you want, you have my official permission!" chuckled Remus making a sip.

This phrase caused a happy hum among the company.

"Have you heard?!" yelled Benji, grasping Remus's neck and lifting up his can.

"The prefect has declared anarchy!"

Everyone laughed and lifted their cans.

Beer was drizzling all over, from everywhere at Remus looked shiny in the flickering light people, the teeth exposed in the smiles gleamed, eyes shone, it was very hot, and it seemed that all these half-naked bodies got stuck together in a tangle.

"I love this guy!" Gideon said, and hit the strings so hard that the ringing of glass rolled upon the windows.

The passengers - already unhappy enough with their neighbors - jumped in their beds and began to resent, but the guys, who at that moment began to yell "Confessions of a banshee" very joyfully and rather falsely, did not want to listen to anyone, so that wizards could only curse "Weird Sisters" with their concert and hide under the covers and plug-charms.

"Listen, Lupin, where is Potter and Black?!" shouted Benjy on Remus' ear, vainly trying to overscream Gideon, who was laying himself out to the full.

Marlene immediately turned to look at Remus, once Benjy mentioned Sirius' last name.

Her blue eyes glistened wetly, but all of a sudden the bus turned dashingly and all tumbled on top of each other into a heap, Emmeline on Marlene, Marlene on Remus, they all laughed.

"If these idiots are not there, I will disrupt the concert, everyone heard?!"

"Oh, someone calm him down," there was a lazy, slightly nasal voice of Dorcas, who surfaced from the embrace of her boyfriend.

"They will be there, Benjy!" shouted Remus, getting up, and patting the guy on his back. "Coming back soon!" he added after hearing the company make a hubbub of displeasure. "I'll be back soon!"

Swinging, Remus climbed the staircase leading upstairs, and on the second floor leaned heavily against the railing.

Wow, just one sip of butterbeer, and he feels sick, as if he had just lapped up three bottles of fire whiskey.

What the hell...

All of a sudden before his eyes swam large purple spots - they corrode his visibility, and Remus was afraid that he would not be able to remain standing longer.

Streching out his hand, he by touch in the darkness got to the third floor, and, still in his clothes, fell on the only empty bed in the entire salon.

The pillow was wonderfully solft and cool - Remus felt, as if his head, separate from his body, was falling and falling into a cozy quiet abyss.

The sounds of the guitar were heard as if from beneath very deep waters.

The bus was rocking rhythmically on the move, occasionally jerking forward when it had to jump into the next county.

On the beds, lazily rocking in tact with the bus, the dark silhouettes of the wizards were seen.

There was something soothing in the fact that all these strangers were sleeping trustingly on the neighbouring beds, each in their clothes brought from home, each with their luggage,

Remus wrapped himself up to the head and did not even have time for a thought of how nice he was about to feel, as he immediately fell into a deep healing sleep.

It seemed to him that it took only a few seconds as he was awakened by a voice, but when he raised his head and looked out the window, he saw that over the dark infinite field, which the bus was speedily passing along, there was a dawned bright band, as if someone blurred the ink sky with a bit of water.

Remus sat up and looked around sleepily, rubbing his shoulders because of the chill.

The morning was stretching along the cabin as a cool draft.

The boy wrapped himself up in the blanket as in a robe and went downstairs to get some hot chocolate.

He knew that after such bouts of weakness there was no better cure.

As he tiptoed down, Remus remembered that he had promised his classmates to return, but when he got downstairs, saw that they themselves were sleeping side by side, arm in arm - someone with a friend, someone with a guitar, and some with a can of butterbeer.

A foot of one of the twins in a holey sock was resting on the headboard. Every now and then, there was heard someone's peaceful snoring or the accidental strum of a string.

After getting his chocolate from sleepy discontent Ernie, Remus came back to his quiet top floor.

He did not feel like sleeping any longer, so he pulled the copy of "Steppenwolf" by Hesse out of his backpack, propped the pillow to the window and made himself comfortable with a book in his lap and a cup of flavored hot chocolate.

To be honest, this kind of atmosphere made him much more comfortable than the company of Benjy Fenwick.

Sighing happily and making a sip out of the mug, Remus conjured himself a couple of lights and began to read.

"Oh come on, Lily," all of a sudden he heard a sound of reproachful soft voice next to him.

"Nothing terrible would happen if you would have kissed him!"

Remus put down his book, involuntarily listening more attentively.

He thought he heard familiar notes.

He turned around.

Talking was a girl lying a few beds away from him.

Resting her elbow on the pillow, she looked at her neighbor, so that Remus could only see a narrow back, covered with a blanket, and a shorthaired head.

Suddenly the bed springs creaked.

"What?!" the indignant voice of Lily Evans Remus would recognize out of thousand other voices.

Upon the background of the growing lighter window, he saw a tousled mop of hair and there could be no doubt.

"Not you too!"

"He was in danger!"

"Oh, come on, he was not in any danger!"

Remus kept his ears open.

Could they be talking about James?

Definitely, about him.

Blimey, how awkward.

The first thought was to get up and make them understand that he was here and could hear everything.

This would be honest.

But on the other hand...

He started listening again.

 

"What, not one letter for the entire summer?" asked Alice Wood. A sympathy was heard in her voice.

There was a short pause, and a deep sigh was heard.

"No," answered Lily, and in this "no" Remus heard so much genuine bitterness that he suddenly felt both embarrassed and pleased for Prongs. He resolutely put his book in his backpack and got up.

"Who knows what sort of things he has to deal with," for the sake of justice noticed Alice. "Maybe, he is busy, and that's why he does not write."

"I absolutely do not care," Lily several times slammed her fist into the pillow and sat down, leaning back on it with her back and wrapping her legs into the blanket.

"I would be only happy, if it appears that Potter has finally found a new victim for himself and is going to leave me in peace."

 _'Liar'_ , - rang in her thoughts uncompromising and very nasty tiny voice.

"In the end, who would like to be bothered like that all the time?"

From the expression on Alice's face, she gathered that an honest question was about to fly out from her tongue, so Lily hurried to say ahead of her:

"I will not let him make me look like an idiot all the time. And if he will continue to behave like this ..."

 _'What if not?'_ , - got terrified the same tiny voice.

"... then I will once and for ever let him understand, that between us noth..."

"Good morning," rang right above them a bland polite voice.

The girls turned.

"Remus!"

Lily, come round in amazement, jumped out of bed and gladly embraced the classmate.

Remus and her have always been in great relationship, and them both becoming prefects has only made this relationship tighter and got them closer.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why is everyone so surprised to see me?" with a mocked indignation asked Remus.

"If something, I could go away..." he turned around, and Lily, laughing, took him by the arm and made him come back.

"We are so happy to see you! Also going to the concert?"

"To the concert, of course!" chuckled Remus, kissing Alice's cheek (the bus staggered and he pecked the ear) and finding space to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I heard you and could not pass without coming to say hi."

"Heard?" asked Lily, and her smile somehow faded. The green eyes gleamed cautiously. "What?"

"Nothing," said Remus, smiling calmly and looking at her significantly. "Absolutely nothing."

Lily was relieved, yet the smile, which she gave Lupin was somewhat constrained.

At this moment Ernie with the tray, on which colorful hot-chocolate-filled mugs were jostling along, came to their floor and informed them they were about to reach their destination.

All around the bus the passengers were getting up: the spoons were rattling and it smelled like chocolate and toothpaste - the bus was swept up in a usual morning bustle.

From all over the place came peppy, a little muffled voices, the neighbor of Lily and Alice turned on the radio, here and there the beds were being made, a child's nasal voice was heard on the second floor.

Following the unobtrusive melody form the raucous receiver there poured a news roundup - the anchor was reporting new facts about the victims of the werewolf mutiny in Brentwood.

Lily stole a glance at darkened gray-pale Remus and handed him an unopened bag of cookies and sandwiches.

"Help yourself," silently said she in response to his questioning look and smiled, seeing the gratitude dispensing in his light-brown eyes.

"It's great that we'll all be together!" was happily chirping Alice in the meantime, while arranging on the bedside table, which strove to move out to the side, a modest breakfast of a traveler consisting of pastries and sandwiches by Mrs. Evans.

"You know Remus, today, I mean, yesterday, I saw Sirius and he said that he was going! And James also!"

Lily threw at her a quick glance. She's was doing her hair, sitting cross-legged near the pillow.

"How great that we will all be together! Pa booked us a tent a week ago, but we thought it would be best to leave the day before the concert, to see a little bit of forest!" continued rattling Alice, stirring her chocolate with a spoon.

"There in fact lived Merlin himself! I think there must be something to look at, what do you think? The concert can't come too soon, I just cannot wait, we will see THE Myron Wa... wow, look! - Alice suddenly rushed to the window - the bus drove into the Avemore suburbs and now was hurtling on a crazy speed along a narrow country road and brushing the wet tree branches.

Identical, completely unremarkable houses slept comfortably, they were wrapped in greens, and all that was enveloped with wet gray fog.

The town was the most common and even dull, but the fact that upon this land once walked the greatest wizard of all time gave a special importance even to the lampposts, standing along the road.

"I cannot believe that I am in Avemore...I can not believe that we will see "The Weird Sisters"!" Alice clapped her hands, giving each passing tree an utmost enthusiastic gaze, and grabbed her cocoa. "I can not believe!"

 

James only had time to see the glimpse of the purple bus roof beneath him, and the wind hit him with the enormous force, blowing him back. Lightning-fast, he threw up his wand, and as if the hook had picked him up and jerked him forward, and the next moment he was exerted with a force onto the icy wet iron roof.

Something in the head hummed nastily; there were sparks in his eyes.

Next to him he heard a muffled groan, and after that a sound of nervous barking laughter.

"Prongs, Prongs!"

"Blimey... it worked..." James shook his head, trying to shake out of it all the sparkles to the last.

"What are you saying?!" shouted Sirius. James turned his head and saw only his narrowed like slits eyes, hair, standing up because of the wind, and the white strip of teeth.

"BLIMEY!" he shouted in reply, swallowing the wind, and they laughed, holding on to their wands, which were firmly adhered to the metal roof.

 

"What was that?!" anxiously startled Alice, when something landed on the roof right above her head.

Lily put down her mug; the passengers next to them began to look around.

Remus looked up at the ceiling, smiled thinly and looked down.

-"Guess with three attempts..." he muttered, lifting the cup to his lips and raising his eyebrows significantly.

Suddenly the witch sitting beside them screamed, looking out the window. Then a burly gentleman on the neighboring bed also looked out the window and, undignified bashed right back, and fell to the floor.

"What is going on?" asked Lily, turning around, and all of a sudden Alice yelped loudly and spilled her hot chocolate on the floor.

"Prongs!" Remus cried out in surprise, rushing to the window.

James laughed silently behind the glass and nearly slid off the roof.

Remus quickly turned the knob on the frame, and James leaned in their window, like a really big bat.

"Rem! Where is Tail?!" he shouted cheerfully. The wind ruffled his hair, glasses overhang threateningly.

"Stayed in the forest! I think, he'll find us in his own time!" answered Remus, catching the hidden meaning in the words of his friend.

"Well, where are we going?" James shouted in such a carefree voice, as if a trip on the roof of the 'Knight Bus' was an extremely usual thing to him.

"What?!" shouted Remus, as he could not hear the last line.

James breathed in to shout louder, but then his mouth got full of wind, and for a moment, he looked like an Australian frog.

They burst out laughing.

The girls looked at each other. Alice smiled. Lily, whose memories of the dream were still too vivid, pointedly turned away from the window and took a sip from her cup.

James gathered the air in his lungs and yelled:

"Where are we going?!"

"Avemore! Caledonian forest!"

"Damn it!" enthusiastically swore James, thus expressing all the accumulated emotions.

Remus laughed.

Lily got enough courage to cast a quick glance at James. For some reason it was uncomfortable and difficult to look at him - as if at the source of a blinding glare.

"I'll see you there!" James shouted to Remus and finally turned to the girls, making a composed, as that of a mail owl, facial expression. "Ladies," he winked at them. "Would you be so kind?"

His glasses slid from his nose and hung on one bow, and he could not possibly correct them, because then he would risk flying off the roof.

Lily felt a light jab in the ribs and throwing at Alice, more precisely, at her arm, a reproachful look, reluctantly moved over to the window and quickly returned the glasses on the nose of the owner. Wind caught her hair and as if playing, threw it on the boy's face.

"Thank you, my angel," James suddenly kissed the air right in front of Lily's nose, Lily angrily pulled back and flopped on the bed. "You..." the guy kept gazing at her. The chocolate eyes met the green ones. Finally James' lips quivered affectionatedly. "Look just divine, Evans."

James' facial expression suddenly changed, his eyes widened and he disappeared in a flash.

"What's the matter?" Alice turned around following the direction of his gaze.

The girls turned and saw Ernie climbing the ladder. Remus hastily shut the window.

"What's going on here?" ominously asked the conductor and came up to them. - Passengers say they saw someone climbing into this window!

"Gremlin" quickly replied Remus.

"Annoying one," picked up Alice and giggled, exchanging glances with Lily.

"Well, well..." Ernie looked disapprovingly at the guys, gave a suspicious look to the window and left.

"What?" bursted up Lily, as she noticed that Alice was barely holding back laughter, looking at her. "What is it?"

Alice stifled a laugh, making a funny grunt with her nose, and with a pained face handed her friend a compact powder.

Lily looked at her skeptically, opened the mirror, decisively looked at her reflection and froze in terror: on her upper lip there adorned lush "whiskers" of hot chocolate.

"Asshole!" she cried, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and turning, but the window was already empty, so that her accusation was left unnoticed, and Remus with Alice again roared with laughter.


	12. A Drunk Vampire in the Magic Forest

Lucius sat at a table in a dark room reading a book.

The fire in the fireplace has almost burned down, and the warm glare slowly trickled down his face.

Hearing that she woke up, the brother turned his head and said calmly:

"You should not have done so. We are urged to give you to the Devil's Snare."

Roxanne stared at him surprised, rising on her elbow.

"What?"

Lucius closed the book, looked straight at her with his icy gray eyes and suddenly shouted:

"WHERE IS MY SUITCASE?"

Roxanne twiched and woke up.

Some fairy laughed shrilly right above her ear, and a high male voice seconded her laughter; hurried voices and stampede came from all around.

The pillow fabric was unusually stiff and smelled of herbs.

Roxanne angrily pulled the blanket over her head and covered her ears, hoping to go back to sleep, but suddenly someone had pushed her bed.

She wanted to jump up and throw this guy out the window, but instead she just threw the blanket off her head and opened one eye.

The bus was not moving. The monstrous shaking has finally stopped, but to Roxanne it still seemed that her bed was jumping somewhere, leaping over the potholes.

She sat up, wrapping herself in the blanket. The windows were open, and the cold wind was walking around the bus.

A string of sleepy wizards, hung with bags from head to toe, lined up next to her. All of them yawned, scratched themselves and tried to look over the shoulders of those who stood in front.

On the neighboring beds, which were already made, wizards sat and patiently waited for the jam to dissolve.

If they have already arrived, why has nobody woke her up, what, they thought she has died?

Even so, might have even poked her a little out of curiosity.

"Please, Miss Marsh, no need to shout like that, we will find your stuff, please just move to the side..." the voice of Ernie Shunpike was coming from outside.

"What happened?" asked some girl. "What is going on there?"

"Ouch, who stepped on my foot?"

"Excuse me, ma'am."

"It seems that witch has lost her luggage?"

"Has anyone seen a toad?"

"Where is my wand?! I have lost my wand! Oh, wait, here it is..."

All of these voices and noise...

The head was simply throbbing. Interesting, do they even understand how nasty they are?

Roxanne curled up, clutching the pillow.

She has not been able to sleep for the night. First, she was haunted by nightmares - it seemed to her that she could hear the hiss of the devil snares under the bed and muffled grunt of the werewolf.

Also, for some reason, it was terribly cold even under the blanket, so she just lay there, trembling, choking with self-pity.

Then, when she finally managed to fall into a troubled sleep, in which she wandered in the darkness, constantly clinging to the roots, a large and noisy company with a guitar at the ready has burged into the bus.

Their screams alone were pissing her off, but when some guy started yelling 'Confessions of a Banshee' horribly out of tune, Roxanne has experienced a period of hatred towards all living things altogether.

It took her lots of self-constraint not to conjure him with something... extraordinary.

When thinking of magic, she felt sick, and as if her legs buckled.

She has used magic at night.

In the name of Merlin, she has actually used magic.

Um-m-m, how, how could she be so stupid? Why does she always does first, and think after?

Roxanne squinted and pressed her hands to her face.

The remorse was above all levels.

She did not know just how quickly the news about the violations would get to the French Ministry of Magic. Probably, with the speed of sound. She imagined as at this exact second her mother, checking the mail during breakfast, finds a letter from Cherie du Clai, the Head Juvenile Wizard Justice and Delinquency Prevention Department. They have had a few unpleasant meetings before.

She could envision how Edwin, shooting lightinings, climbs the stairs, how the skirts of her emerald gown are fluttering and the heels are knocking. Here she opens the door to Roxanne's room... and sees the broken bed and the friendly open window.

Roxanne clutched the pillow, tattering the image as sharply as if trying to shut that window.

If she returns home, her mother will smudge her on the wall.

This is obvious.

So she cannot go home.

She has most probably been expelled from Charmbaton already, so she cannot go to Charmbaton either.

From the mere thought of never being able to see the Refectory with its white columns, the garden and the fountains, her throat started to tickle.

Stop, no panic.

Lucius will help her.

Yes, he will definitely help.

And she simply will not think of it now.

She will think of it later, after the concert.

The crowd in the bus was getting smaller, so now she could get out without attracting unnecessary attention.

Despite everything, Roxanne still had a few 'true Malfoy' genes swimming in her - she did not at all want to defile in front of the crowd of her peers in ripped, spattered tracksuit, with a crow's nest on her head and wearing dirty shoes, so she waited until everyone would leave the bus, and only then has quietly slipped outside.

Once in the fresh air, Roxanne has sighed with pleasure and stretched.

The air was completely different, piercingly clean, filled with aroma of rotting damp and fragrant herbs. Unaccustomed, she even felt a little dizzy.

Squinting at the pale daylight, Roxanne held out her arms above her head, smiled contentedly, stretched her muscles once more, and turned towards the woods.

The first thought was: all of them had been cruelly deceived.

The bus has stopped next to a small glade, washed out with rains.

On the yellow rotting grass there lay piles of garbage, spreading around the suffocating smell, with flies all over it.

A little further on the glade the wet trees were overhanging, frail and sick.

Some of them have already started losing leaves because of the cold climate and looked so dirty, as if recently there has been a smerch that got them spitted with mud. All of them were somehow in unison bending forward, hanging over the ground, some got so low that it seemed they simply had not fallen till the end yet.

Roxanne was so astonished by the view, that did not even notice how 'The Dark Knight' has drove off.

Is this somebody's joke?

Caledonian Forest, the forest where Merlin himself used to live, the greatest reserve of the magic world - this scrapyard?!

It cannot be, it is a mistake!

However... there could be no mistake. There were people all around her, and all of them also came for the concert and they did not seem surprised by the view, so everything must be right?

It was so unbelievable that it seemed some one would burst out laughing now, would say that this, of course, is just delirium, and all of them would go to the actual forest.

But noone was laughing or screaming.

For the first time Roxanne felt like going home.

Suddenly three shaggy guys, making everyone wince and turn around, dashed hugging with loud warlike howls.

You could think, all of them had been to the battlefield, and were wildly happy now to meet again.

Then, suddenly, with the same howls, others joined them, even girls.

All of them were seizing each other, and very soon the small crowd grew into one huge embrace.

Roxanne, thanks to her mommy and daddy, has not been in such society for a long time now, and has been greedy watching at all of this, at how all these hippy teenagers in muggle clothes were simply pulling each other, screaming and laughing.

The older people were turning around to look at them, smiling and saying to each other "Hogwarts!" - like that would explain everything.

Well, if those were really the students of THE Hogwarts her parents were frightening her with, Roxanne did not see anything scary in them.

A girl from Charmbaton was a hundred times scarier, and everybody in Durmstrang was so sullen and spiteful that even trying to hug them was actually dangerous.

Out of the blue Roxanne felt the terrible urge of being hugged by someone, too.

Then all of a sudden someone pushed her shoulder with force when passing by, and she recognized the ginger guy with the guitar.

He was moving at such cheerful and confident pace, that she unconsciously moved along after him.

This one surely knows where they have to be going.

She very much did not want to enter the forest alone – she could almost see the piles of garbage lying under the trees, the tin cans everywhere and clouds of insects.

Oh, Merlin.

No way, if they must drown in all that crap, they will do it all together.

Roxanne made a deep breath, shook her backpack and followed the cheerfully noizy crowd.

As soon as they entered the forest, there was silence. It was so abrupt as if Roxanne has plunged into water. The noise subsided so suddenly, as if someone had twirled the volume control. Even the Hogwarts company got silent and Roxanne understood why.

As soon as her foot stepped on the dry, faded grass, it seemed that all the attention of the forest closed in on her, Roxanne Malfoy. Like the forest leaned straight to her face.

Also…

She was positive that she has escaped her room through the window on July 31st , so how was it possible that in just one night she has moved from the stuffy dry summer straight into the heart of autumn?

Many of the trees here were still green, but most of them were dressed in matte, pale gold and brown haze leaves.

Detaching from the branches, they gently and silently floated onto the heads of the moving people. It seemed no loud noises could exist there.

There was a dry, melancholic aroma in the air, the one that appears in the end of September. The trees were getting bigger with each step, as if growing right in front of the passersby - the trunks were expanding, became wider, the crowns grew imperceptibly and were blocking the light so that the slanting rays of the sun could barely penetrate through them and were dissecting a pale golden shade.

The shimmering motes swirled in them, like tiny planets.

As they walked and turned their heads around, opening their mouths in awe, it was quiet and you could only hear the rustle of the leaves under the numerous sneakers.

And then someone has destroyed that silence.

Ahead of Roxanne there walked a girl with thick dark red hair. In each small group of tourists or travelers unfamiliar with one another, there is always a girl who everyone looks at every now and then. This girl was just like that. Roxanne herself did not understand why she looked at her from time to time. Maybe she liked the way that beautiful auburn hair was billowing on the move . It attracted attention.

The guys that were hugging next to the bus were walking just a few people with backbacks ahead of Roxanne. One of them was in a jumper, the other one wore a leather jacket, like so many in this crowd, and the third one was in a jacket.  
The last one had a springy way of walking, bouncing now and then, and it seemed that any second now he would just start off and run somewhere.

That is exactly what happened.

Turning his head towards the noticeable redhead girl, he all of a sudden slapped his leather-jacket-friend on the back, separated from his company and caught up with her.

Bouncing on the go, he was walking with his back forward right in front of her.

Shaggy, handsome, with oafish heavy glasses, which did not stop him pouring smiles.

He was saying something to the readhead, a little showing off and wrinckling his face in a funny manner – apologizing. Unsuccessfully, it would seem.

The redhead was not slowing her pace and was obviously trying to get rid of his as soon as possible.

At some point, she managed to do it.

Then the guy absolutely inappropriately flopped on his knees and dramatically took off his glasses, but the girl only walked around him defiantly and kept on going.

Then he, making those around him chuckle, crawled after her on his knees, his hands dangling pitifully.

Everyone around was looking at them and laughing, more and more people started to pay attention to what was going on between them, and the redhead gave in.

Shouting "Fine!" so loud that even Roxanne could hear it, she almost ran off forward, getting her girl friends under hands.

The guy raised his fist in the air and suddenly fell into the tall grass, arms outstretched.

You could only see his sharp knees in jeans.

His friends got to him. The leather-jacket-one picked up the senseless hand of the fallen, checked his pulse, then casually tossed it back and said something to the others over his shoulder.

Dark-haired and handsome, he seemed vaguely familiar to Roxanne, but then some other people got in front of them, and that company all together got out of sight.

All of a sudden there came a light wind, and it started to smell like honey. Mixing with the smell of the rotten leaves and rosin, this aroma made Roxanne weirdly tipsy.

She felt as if she has swallowed a spoon of Ogden – somewhere in the solar plexus there nestled a warm ball, and she did just in case touch a T-shirt there to make sure whether it was hot.

Suddenly somebody laughed behind her back. Roxanne turned around and met the same puzzled expression on the faces of people walking behind.

She felt uneasy.

Roxanne turned back and suddenly the corner of her eye caught some movement in the bushes to her right. She stopped, opening her mouth in amazement.

From a warm ray of sunshine a human face was looking at her. And it was definitely female – women's eyes, lips, even the outlines of the long hair.

It was as if woven of solar dust and thin solar overflows, and when Roxanne made a microscopicly small step forwards to look at it closer, the face has suddenly crumbled into the shimmering particles of light.

Immediately after, above the heads of the travelers there rolled a laughter, and after it - the distant, as if coming through the centuries, echo filled with laughter of women, men's voices and laughter of children. It rolled above them and got carried away…

It was quite scary, some just in case pulled out their wands, and then there came a shriek:

"Look, look! _Nymphs!"_

Everyone at once got alarmed and began to spin around, but the declassified forest minxes decided not to intimidate the guests any longer and revealed themselves.

They were walking out of the stirring in the wind bushes, appeared from the sunlight and trees, rose out of the ground as a pile of leaves and, laughing coquettishly, surrounded the frozen in awe people.

The clothes for them were leaves, the same solar dust, some twigs and the wind itself...

Some boys lost their heads and rushed to catch them, but it was not that easy.

The nymphs amused themselves by escaping from them and their every movement was invariably accompanied by a distant, melting in the sky, laughter.

They tore off the boys backpacks, showered them with acorns, and when someone managed to catch one of them, she would immediately crumble into a pile of leaves, and the lucky guy stood there with empty hands, fluttering his eyelashes, puzzled.

A tittle nymph looked out from behind a tree right next to Roxanne, and she involuntarily froze, frightened to chase away the forest spirit.

The nymph's hair under the crown of flowers and leaves was whiffled by the blowing wind, and it made a noise like a crown of a young tree. Her eyes were slanted, narrow and piercing green - eyes of the forest, which was always secretly watching those who invaded its possession.

Looking into those eyes, Roxanne suddenly with some poignant clarity felt the kinship with the person about whom she has never remembered throughout her life - a great-grandmother-veela.

Nymph tolted her head and bit her lower lip as if Roxanne has said something funny. As if she heard what Roxanne was thinking.

"Look!" sounded another shriek.

Everyone, Roxanne included, turned around.

From the ground, right in the middle of the road, scattering the dead leaves, there suddenly arose a huge wooden shield-map, all entwined with ivy and white flowers. It bore the large, faded from time letters.

#### "WELCOME TO THE CALEDONIAN FOREST – THE OLDEST RESERVE OF THE MAGIC WORLD "

_**"Hello, dear stranger! If you're in the forest – it means you were brought here by the hand of fate. And it is not in vain. Caledonian Forest is famous for its wildlife. Here you can find unicorns, griffins, hippogriffs, wood, water and forest nymphs, harpies, manticores, salamanders, trolls and mirmen. As soon as you have read these lines, the signposts will appear before you... "** _

Many almost simultaneously began to turn their heads and saw that, while they read, in the dim light there erupted and spread in different directions tracks of tiny round lights, woven of blue light beams.

Someone once tried to touch one of them, and it melted with some frightening otherworldly sigh.

_**"If you came to the Forest for the tour, then turn left and wait for your Guide. We suggest you visit the "Merlin's Paddock": there you can ride a Hippogriff for a small fee and get your picture taken with a unicorn; you could also visit the adjacent hour excursion in the bubble accompanied by the Lake Lady. Check in for the current prices. During the tour, it is prohibited to enter the territory of the centaurs' colony and hunting the bowtruckles. Penalty: 500 Galleons."** _

Roxanne mechanically looked up and was not surprised to see the tiny wooden people on the low-growing branches right above her head.

One of them, peering at her with his tiny black eyes, caught a firefly pixie that was flying next to him and absently stuffed it into its mouth, so you could see a pair of transparent wings sticking out of it. Roxanne smiled.

_**"If you wish to visit the house of Merlin, go straight ahead and get a pass from the conductor and your personal Forest map. Please, be aware that during the tour around the house such charms as Accio and Diffindo are prohibited for use , as well as a variety of copying and invisibility spells. Taking pictures is prohibited. Penalty: 500 Galleons. After the tour you will have some free time, so you can visit our 'Tent of Miracles', where you will find such amazing products from the Caledonian production workshop for you and your family as brooms, boilers, kitchen utensils and so on. "** _

As Roxanne was reading or rather was trying to read the announcement, constantly bouncing and springing on tiptoe (with her height of five-plus feet, her life was a little harder than others), the company has gradually disintegrated into small groups and started to disapper in the forest. Older people who came for the tour, families with children, employees of the reserve. Most of the arrivals were still crowded in front of the shield, trying to read the latest inscription made under the main text:

_**"If you have arrived for the concert of the magic rock band 'The Weird Sisters' that will take place on the night of 1st to 2nd August, please turn right and show your invites to the Guide, then you will get a map with the location of your village. We remind you that for the duration of the concert the forest will be surrounded by the protection spells, which are necessary for the successful functioning of the non-magic equipment. Please do not try to transgress and beware of using the portals!** _

__**Respectfully,  
Main Administrator of the Caledonian Reserve,  
Ursula Pendragon."**

The Guides were three young witches in 'The Weird Sisters' merchandise t-shirts. Each one of them had a big round badge on their chest: yellow, green and red.

The witch with the red badge stared with great amazement at Roxanne's invite, and even with greater amazement at Roxanne herself. Roxanne tried to imagine how she looked now, and has pulled her hood lower, trying to hide that stupid blond hair under it.

She was always self-conscious because of her unusual haircolor. Much more than her mother or Lucius. Maybe because in her childhood all kids wondered whether she had elderly grey hair? That is why Roxanne has always wanted to have dark hair, like most of the normal people do. Or to be a redhead, like that girl.

After attentively checking the invite flyer, the witch waved with her wand, thus putting a stamp on it, gave Roxanne a map and volunteered to guide her to her village.

There was no one else walking with them – everyone else went to other villages under the guidance of their volunteers.

They entered a dark alley leading to the camp – the lanterns were attached to the branches of the trees with chains, in the twilight of the tree crowns the laughter of pixies was heard, here and there there were firefly fairies, and the Guide had to wave them off with a map.

Soon the first tents came into view, and together with them – their inhabitants.

Roxanne's morning began about fourty minutes ago, but the camp has only been awakening.

People were getting out of their tents, streching, making fire, putting their kettles and pots on it, rattling the buckets and talking to each other.

A longhaired rocker sat cross-legged in front of the floating mirror and shaved, drawing off his nose by two fingers.

A girl not much older than Roxanne was making breakfast, and next to her there was stamping a small fair-haired boy in 'The Weird Sisters' t-shirt, which was dragging upon the ground – its sleeves were so long, they covered his arms almost completely.

Put fingers in his mouth, he was spellbound looking at the wand in his mother's hands. From their tent, which was all decorated with posters, came out a shaggy unshaven guy wearing only jeans; he asked the girl about something, and noticed the kid, caught him and put him on his shoulders. A dark-skinned, important-looking dame was sitting in a luxurious summer deck chair next to her tent, which looked like an eastern marquee, and was strumming gently the strings of her guitar.

With an anxious thrill, Roxanne recognized her – it was Selestina Warlock.

"Tell me, where can I find the band itself?" asked Roxanne her guide.  
"Which band?" right away busily replied the guide.  
"What, there are many bands here?" forced a naive tone Roxanne.  
"'Salem's Witches', 'The Goblins', 'Pixie Padstow', Dan Cappuletti and Selestina Warlock have arrived yesterday. Who are you interested in?"

Roxanne goggled her eyes.

«And you could easily instroduce me to any of them?" she asked in a weak voice.  
"You have a VIP invite flyer," answered the girl, glancing at Roxanne with the same annoyingly-skeptical look.

"So you could easily invite any of them for tea," said she and suddenly added:  
"If they will be displeased with the tent again, say, that in that case they can snuggle under a tree and sleep there."  
Roxanne raised her eyebrows in amazement, but in that instant her guide pressed he fingers to the ear and put her want towards her lips like a microphone.  
"Yes, any," she said briefly to Roxanne.

Her wand started creaking in a stange way and she turned around again.  
"Caleb, I cannot be dealing with this right.." her wand was nearly bursting from sounds. "Fine, fine! I am coming!" she put her wand in the pocket of her jeans.  
"Sorry, so who did you need?"  
"Umm, Myron," said Roxanne, having a faint feeling that it this will not end up well  
"Or Donaghan."  
"Myron Wagtail?" asked the girl.  
"Yes."  
"The frontman of 'The Weird Sisters'?"  
"Right."  
For couple of seconds the guide stared, dumbfounded, at Roxanne and then bursted out laughing.

"It's very funny. You know, I am afraid you misunderstood my words about the VIP flyer. I don't need problems."  
"You just don't get it. I am Roxanne Malfoy."  
"And I am Vendy Pan, nice to meet you, so?"  
Roxanne started to feel annoyed.  
"Listen, me and Myron – we are really good friends, used to be classmates, and if you really do not want trouble…"  
"Yes, Caleb, I told you already, I am coming!" yelled the girl into her wand, and Roxanne felt a huge desire to poke her in the nose with that stupid wand.  
"Now you listen to me!" said the girl before Roxanne could mutter a word.

"The band has better things to do than to communicate to crazy fans. Every day I meet at least twenty cousins, ex-girlfriends, wives and mothers of Myron and Donaghan. I do not have time for that. Your tent is over there, make yourself comfortable, and… I advice you not to bother other organizers or it's you who will have problems. I am not joking. Good bye."  
After saying that, the guide shoved the map to Roxanne's hands, turned around and walked away. And Roxanne was left alone, dying from desire to throw some acrid spell into this hussy's back.

According to the map, the band would be performing on a huge glade as big as a football fiels not far away from the 'A' sector, where the VIP-village was. The 'B' and 'C' sectors were situated a little further on either sides of it.

There was no doubt: for security reasons the guys would settle right behind the stage, in some tiny shack that would not attract any attention.

That worked out when they were in Switzerland, so when Roxanne miserably broke out of the brambles bushes and saw a dirty rickety tent made of pieces of colored cloth stretched between trees and next to it - a severe type of auror in a Ministry uniform mantle, she was not surprised at all.

Right behind the tent above the treetops, the stage could be seen, but from where she stood, Roxanne could only see the gigantic backdrop and the frame.

When she moved in that direction a few organizers rushed after her, so Roxanne had to run away from them, winding through the bushes like a hare. Now she has had only couple of minutes, so she decisively pulled down her top and started towards the tent, anticipating how she will kick Don's ass for not organizing a proper reception for her.

Yet first she will get something to eat.

"Where?" asked the auror sternly when she took the decisive step toward the tent.

"There," said the girl keeping her face low.  
Probably it was best to at least take off the hood – the huge hand of the guard all of a sudden collapsed heavily onto her shoulder and made her make couple of steps away from the entrance.

"You cannot go there," in a wooden tone replied the wizard and calmly, as if nothing has happened, crossed the arms on his chest. Seemed, he did not even consider using  
his wand with such small witch as Roxanne, for it was still sticking out of the case attached to his belt.

Roxanne squinted.

Fine, all of those zealous show business workers were trying to prevent her from seeing Donaghan's physiognomy, she could survive that somehow, but now they were denying her access to food and bed, and for that she was ready to fight until the last drop of blood right now.  
"You know what?" she put her face towards the impassive wizard. "You have fucking exhausted me with all of your rules! Cannot go there, cannot ask that, and cannot speak with those! I can, is that clear? I was personally invited by Wagtail and I am fucking tired of explaining this to everybody! I am his guest! And if you don't want your ass to be thrown out of the Ministry tomorrow, let me pass there right now! Or you will be thrown out, because I am his girlfriend, clear? And I…"

"And I am his grandma" – replied the auror with not a shade of any expression on his face. "I do not care, I have an order of not letting anyone in. There is a rehearsal going on."  
"I don't give a shit about their rehearsal!"

Roxanne lifted her jacket, reached under the t-shirt, grabbed the letter out of her bra and threw it in the guard's face.  
The auror with the expression of universal boredom on his face read a few lines, then gently sighed and tore the letter into small pieces. Roxanne was speechless.  
"As I said, I am ordered not to let anyone in. There is a rehearsal going on. Be so kind to step away from the tent to the distance of 20 feet or I will be forced to use paralyzing spells on you.

"I'm not fucking 'stepping away'!" – Roxanne pulled her wand, the auror caught her by the elbow, pulling out his wand, and at that moment the shower curtain, which was used as an entrance to the tent, opened and Donaghan himself stepped out.

The silky purple shirt was hanging on his skinny pale body, exposing the chest, covered in dark hairs, the belt on his trousers was undone, and his long hair stood in a plica. They have not seen each other for almost a year, and for this time he has changed so much that Roxanne could barely recognize in his sleek drunk face any familiar traits. Right after him from the tent there stepped out a witch with noticeable body curves, which were exposed to the maximum due the extreme lack of clothes on her.

"Thanks, babe," the musician pecked her in the cheek without looking, spanked her on the tightened in a leather skirt butt, rushing her, and lazily turned towards the auror. "What, Jim, another one? What's that noise?"

Roxanne freed her elbow from auror's capture and took off the hood.

Donaghan froze with his lips forming a tubule.

"Rox!" all of a sudden yelled he shrilly raising both of his arms.  
"Rox, baby, Merlin's balls!"  
That is when a crowd of aurors and guards bursted out from the bushes, all armed with wands. Don put his hand up, signing them that all was well.  
"It's okay, Jim, she is my…"  
"I hope you rehearsed her well, Don?" asked Roxanne, hitting him on the undone belt. Her eyes were shooting lightnings. "Because now I will be rehearsing you!"

Donaghan bursted out laughing and before she could get even madder, caught her in a tight embrace and swang around.

"Damn it, I am so glad to see you!" sighed out Tremlett, gazing at her happily.

"Merlin's beird, what are you wearing?" he picked a corner of her top with two fingers. "Were they swiping floors with you, honey?"

Roxanne made a plaintive grimace.

"Easier to tell you what they were not doing to me. I am hungry, Don, if you don't feed me immediately, I will start biting you now."

"You're just like him," the guitarist dramatically rolled his eyes. "He also threatens to eat me from time to time when I…" Don glanced at the security guard.

"Let's go. I will get you something to eat," said Donaghan and embraced Roxanne by the shoulders, leading her inside the tent.

Once Roxanne entered behind the flowery shower curtain, she was right away hit with a wave of loud music, and the harsh smell of cigarette smoke got to her nose. As expected, behind that shower curtain there was an incredible room upholstered in red wood, with leather furniture, lots of lamps, a bar and a billiard table.

On the king-sized coffee table next to the long semicircular couch made of shiny brown leather a pile of dirty dishes was clustered together with a few open bottles of the 'Ogden' whisky, the clothes were everywhere, as well as records and all sorts of shoes.

The members of the band were drowning in the cloud of smoke, lounging on the couch. When seeing the old friend, they started to make a hubbubing noise, and stretching their arms towards her.

Kirley jumped up and ran to her, just like Donaghan did before, embracing her. And after him all other guys one by one showed their love to their old girlfriend in combat: some hugged her, some swingled her hair, like she was still twelve, some tried to kiss.

Firstly, Donaghan made an order of Roxanne being brought something to eat – as it appeared there were a few house elves in the tent.

The girl was brought scrubmled eggs with some balmy bacon, toasts, shiny with butter, some cherry and blueberry jam and a cup of hot coffee with cream.

Roxanne got so full that the belt on her jeans started to press onto her belly. She barely swallowed the last piece and heard the end of their contract-signing story, when…

"Well-well-well, look, who is here!"  
The sound of his voice brought shivers down her skin, and she interrupted her story about fighting the devil's snare on the most interesting part.

Down the stairs leading to the second floor, lazily throwing forward his legs, unhurriedly ran a skinny pale guy with a glass in his hand. He was wearing only the black leather pants and a pendant on his neck. His thin fair hair was disheveled, and under his black eyes, which looked like two holes, lay purple shadows.

"Hello, Myron," Roxanne did her best to sound as negligent as possible and rose towards him. The heart was jumping with happiness, but they have not seen each other for ages, and she bewore from throwing her arms around him. "How's life?"

Myron Wagtail, THE Myron, who once gave her his hand in the dangeons of Durmstrang, that skinny strange guy, who she fell in love with, and now the most beautiful and the sexiest front man of their generation, leaned towards Roxanne and drily touched her cheek with his lips. The girl unvolunteerly felt a gentle thrill, when the fangs lightly touched her skin.

The heart ached with vexation.

She expected a much warmer reception…

"Still dead," grinned he and sipped something very not good from the glass.

"It's terrible,Wag," muttered Roxanne perplexedly.

Don clicked his tongue with impatience and slightly waved his relaxed hand.  
"Wag, behave properly."  
"Mhm," absently sighed hein reply while making a circle around Roxanne and covering her neck with his breath. That's the way you walk around the table or a lamp you like in a store. The ice-cold hand slipped on the waist and the stomach, and the next second Roxanne was pressed to the naked ice-cold chest.

She sighed 'ah', being caught off guard, and when she looked up, her eyes saw such smile that both her legs and her desire for resistance got weaker.  
It was that same Myron.  
"I am joking. You look horrible, babe," he kissed her hard and laughed.  
"Better than you!" said Roxanne and hugged him as strong as she could.  
All of it was not in vain. The house plants trying to eat her alive was not in vain, the werewolf trying to kill her was not in vain, the bus was not in vain, all was not in vain…

"I missed you, baby," said he, and Roxanne made the embrace even tighter.

It has been two years since the unfortune has happened to Wog, but she still could not get used to her friend being a vampire.

She could still remember the moment when Donaghan fell out from her fireplace in the middle of the night, all disheveled and ragged, wearing only the pajamas, and told her that Wog was attacking the students in the common bedroom and was sizzling like an animal.  
She did not want to believe that.

She wished to find some good, honest excuse, but the red eyes and fangs could not be found an excuse for…

It was a shock for everyone when under Myron's mattrass a few ampules with blood and syrenges were found.  
He was expelled. All the guys from the band left with him. Wag was feeling horrible, he even tried to commit suicide – unsuccessfully though.

He tried to quit, but sooner or later the abstinence syndrom would come, and he would start it all over.

If it was not for the music, he would certainly give in. Then there would be no 'The Weird Sisters'. They were the ones who helped him stay afloat and accept his new life, but even after all these years he did not talk about who got him hooked and what for.

When walking through the camp Roxanne saw the girls who were hysterically kissing and hugging with the posters of him.  
For some reason him being a vampire made all of them insanely turned on. They saw the otherwordly charm in him, the dark attraction, the temptation…

Roxanne saw a trembling in cold sweat teenager with dark circles under his eyes, who looked at his own friends with sick greed, saw the used ampules and the potion boiling in the pot, which would help to decrease his hunger. For the sake of making this potion they had to rob a few stores at the Knockturn Alley and go through a couple of house arests, yet it was worth it, for Myron managed to come to senses and take control over the monster.

Nothing else mattered.

Later when the guys left for a general rehearsal Roxanne took a hot bath and made herself comfortable on their wonderful couch in hopes of getting an hour or two of sleep. Once her head touched the soft and pleasant pillow, she immediatly fell asleep, and woke up later, when the soft summer twilight covered the street, from a strange rhythmic rumbling, which sounded like a sea swash.

After wiping her eyes, she noticed that the room was as clean as an operating room, and there was a neat pile of clean clothes lying next to her head.

She could hear some excited voices coming from the neighbouring room, and from time to time some people with equipment were entering and exiting, everyone was rushing, and as if did not notice her at all.

Roxanne sat up and stretched.

Myron came out from the studio, buttoning his spiked bracelet.

He was already wearing his concert clothes – long black net instead of the t-shirt, black leather coat, trousers and wellingtons, all doted with metal studs.

He seemed paler than usual, his hair was sticking up like the one of porcupine's, heavy eyeliner on his eyes, which were burning with fire. The room got filled with an acute actue cold aroma of his expensive perfume.

"What is that noise?" asked Roxanne, shivering. The assistents were going in and out, so the tent was filled with the outside air.

The noise became clearer and she could make out the rambling of people's voices.

It was chanting the name of the band and it seemed was covering Roxanne from somewhere above, like one huge sea swash, threatening to wash off, smash, wipe her from the surface of the Earth.

She could easily imagine that crowd, big enough to place it on the Quidditch's field. She saw how they were shouting and throwing their fists in leather fingerless gloves up in the air in one unified rhythm.

Terryfying human force.

"That isn't noise, Rox," said Myron softly, raised his hands in the sides and closed his eyes, deep drawing air through the nose. "That is people. My drug."


	13. The Wizards in the Leather Jackets

It was getting dark.

The thick blue veil was slowly descending upon the forest and people as if moths were moving towards the only light they were left with – the bright-lit stage, which was as beckoning and inviting to the fringe as a torch in the darkness.

They were getting out of the tent villages, merging into one big unified stream and unhurriedly pouring upon the forest paths just so they could all finally connect in one huge sea – a leather, studded, hairy sea.  
To support their idol most of the fans dressed up as vampires, and from all around the place the pale mealy faces with sickly glowing eyes, all in stains of black paint, were staring at Lily.

She was walking, holding tight to Alice, who kept turning her head around in curiosity and watching carefully at every single hawker. She was wearing red glowing horns, thick bracelet sleeves and three flashing lights.

"Not like I want to be stuck with you the entire evening," said James. He was walking next to Lily with his hands sloppily resting in the pockets of his jeans. The chains hanging from the eyelets rattled, hitting upon his legs. Potter's hair, usually simply shaggy, now for no obvious reason was simply standing upright, as if he has an electric shock. Due to this, his head looked almost twice as big as usual and he obviously like it: now and then he was tossing up his chin and kept his back suspiciously straight. Lily was simply bursting with laughter when looking at this miracle, yet she tried her best to keep a straight face.

"Any moment now you will drag us to get ready for NEWT, right, Evans? What concerts can we talk about, when there is such an event awaiting us?" he gently pushed her with the shoulder.

Lily gave him a reproachful look, yet remained silent.

Potter would not give up the entire evening and got her rather tired of listening to his teasing comments. He seemed especially unsatisfied with what she was wearing.

Unlike Alice, she got dressed in a way that would keep her warm and comfortable: simple black sweater with the turtleneck and cozy blue jeans. She also put her hair down. At first Lily thought that looking that simple would make her stand out too much, but then she checked herself in the mirror and noticed that the dark texture went really well with her red hair and looked well with her pale from a sleepless night face. Moreover, her eyes were glowing in a strange way, just like a pair of gems, and altogether she looked quite well. James, however, started pouring jokes about nuns and excellent students as soon as he saw her, and was looking at her in a way that made Lily feel very uncomfortable.

"Also, we have better things to do! But we don't want you to get trampled, right?" Lily twitched nervously hearing James' voice right next to her ear. He leaned towards her so she could hear him better in the common noise.

Simply leaned towards her…

What is wrong with her today?!

_' "There was nothing funny in jumping off the window just to earn a goddamn kiss!" He looked at her in such a way that Lily involuntarily blushed. She wanted him to stop it. She wanted him to just look away, that is all._

_"I can't even handle how beautiful you are when you're angry, Evans!" uttered James.'_

No, hardly that was the case.

It was just an orderly compliment 'from James', nothing special.

Hardly was he serious, because when she went out of the tent in jeans and sweater James asked her why she would not put her prefect badge on. Still, for some reason, those words were spinning in her heart, like 'The Beatles' record.

"So, stick to us, ladies, and you will be alright," summed up James and immediately broke the agreement by running to someone he knew.

To be honest, Lily was glad when he returned.

The mere thought of not staying in such crowd alone made her feel better. Lily even thought she could make a small exception and take Potter by the arm. He is walking right next to her anyway… she could even smell the clean and boyish smell of his clothes in the light evening wind. In such darkness and crowd, it would be perfectly sensible. Lily glanced at the large folds of the hoody on his elbow and felt an urgent desire to do it.

Take him by the arm.

Touch him.

Yes, right now…

Now!  
James caught her look, and she hurriedly looked away, pretending to be looking at the glowing stand with some magic goods.  
 _"Damn it."_

Without a clear reason, that nonsense got her terribly upset.  
They walked a little more when from the neighboring camp there came a huge stream of fans, a stream so impetuous, that in a moment it separated the girls from the friends and pushed them up forward.

"Do you think they will find us?" asked Lily in a worried tone, holding her friend by the hand, when their 'river' has joined the enormous sea of people, which was buzzing and waving next to the empty, yet perfectly set up stage.

Alice, instead of answering her, joined the crowd in a loud "who-hoo" when in yet another time someone has offered to show how much they all loved 'the guys'.

"Let's get closer to the stage? It will be hard to see anything from here!" complained Alice bouncing on her tiptoe.

Pushing her way forward, Lily suddenly thought about how it must look from the bird's-eye view: some tufts of trees, a tiny, glowing in the dark stage, and a huge stain spilled around it - people, people, people...

"Lily, look!" shouted Alice, taking her friend by the hand and jumping on spot. Here suddenly two huge ramps on each side of the stage flashed with a blindingly bright white light, and the crowd, attracted by the view, twitched towards the stage, taking up girls and caring them forward with the speed of a mountain stream.

Lily felt like Alice's hand slipped out of hers.

People were pushing and shouting, they were basically dragging Lily forward, back, to the sides, and she could not even resist it – Alice got torn away from her, and she could only see the flickering of the red horns somewhere nearby.  
It was scary.

There was not enough air. The sweat was running down the spine.

Suddenly there came a sound of engine: right into the dense crowd, making people move with the light of the headlights and the nasal sound of signal, from all sides there came minibuses, on which the fans of the band form the muggle families came.

There came a great excitement, the crowd streamed towards the cars. Nobody was very surprised at them, as practically the entire album of the band was dedicated to the theme of free love between the wizards and the muggles, and to the subject of all blood tasting the same. So, the appearance of the cars made a certain contribution to the common excitement – as if they all suddenly became a part of the show.

People started climbing on top of the minibuses and a scrimmage began.  
Lily felt the pain from being squished and squeezed from all over and got carried with the speed of the sea swash onto one of the cars. Somebody's hands caught her by hair and tore away a few, her feet were stepped on, from somewhere near there came a holler of pain, and sounds of barfing after it. In the crowd, there was not enough air and excessively much alcohol. Lily felt a lump in her throat.

"What is happening?!" shrieked she finally, feeling like losing her balance. That would be the end of her. They would just step on her, trample her, without even noticing.  
Just keep holding on, keep standing…

"I don't know!" shouted Alice, frightened, somewhere very close, and the next second she got pushed onto a car. People were trying to climb on top of the minibus, pressing onto Lily, risking any second to lay her on the ground and trample…

Suddenly loud hits of the metal came from above their heads. James Potter, easily recognizable due to his horrendous hair, with grumbling noise climbed to the roof of one of the busses, looked around, and seeing the girls, produced a truly horrifying cry, stretching his hands with a red banner with the full-size image of the band members. The magic cloth gained a ruby color in the darkness.

The crowd reacted to the bait and screamed, stopping the movement and reducing the pressure. Lily right away felt like someone was pulling her by the hand.

In the crowd of unfamiliar faces there flickered familiar grey eyes, and she was almost crying from happiness, ready to rush to Sirius Black's neck.

"Sirius!"

"Quick, here!" he commanded and pulled Lily somewhere up as she grabbed Alice by the hand.

One by one, he helped them to get on the roof, in the meanwhile fighting off those who wanted to do the same.

James gave the banner to the white as chalk Peter and stretched his hands to Lily, pulling her to the roof by the waist.

"Did you get scared?" he shouted.

Lily, feeling like she could lose consciousness any moment now, only nodded the head and bumped on the carpet, which was very providently put there by someone to cover the roof. She was shaking as if she had a fever. Sirius was the last to climb up, and surrounded the car with a protection spells once he has, so that nobody would dare to drag them down from there.

Once in a crowd, all of those fun fans they walked along the forest with got so wild, turned into some mad animals and now were pushing each other - it all looked crazy. You could see the blazes of spells around.

Looking from that small elevation down at the half-naked, glowing with sweat, bodies raging around the car, at the distorted faces and helplessly sticking arms, Lily all of a sudden remembered the books' illustrations of hell.

"Is everything okay?" asked James and shook her by the shoulders, getting no response. "Lily, are you hurt?" he painlessly, yet tight, took her face and made her look at him.

"I will never go to a fucking concert again!" stuttering, informed him Lily. She also wanted to tell him she would kill him if he leaves her alone even for a second, but then changed her mind.

She suddenly thought that her father was right, when being categorically against her going, and she regretted not listening to him now. She could be at home now, in her bed and in absolute safety reading 'Gone with the Wind'.

There was a lump in her throat.

"What's up with you, Evans? You are feeling sick?"  
Lily shook her head.  
James laughed and reached for his backpack. From the cannons on top of the ramp, there came flames, and the crowd screamed as if they were animals, not people. Girls were trying especially hard.  
"It's okay, Evans, it always happens at such events! You are just too used to the library!" shouted Potter, turning back to her. "Here, drink!" he passed her a suspiciously looking flask.  
"What is this?"

James laughed again; his white teeth flickered in the darkness.

"I doubt I could find tea for you here! Just drink!"

Lily looked around. On the incapacious roof, except them two, there clustered together their entire company: Sirius, Alice, Marlene, Remus, Peter and the twins. Some of them had quite a torn-apart look, most of them were also drinking something from the bottles.  
She turned away.  
James sighed, rolling his eyes.  
"Okay, I see. The prefect doesn't drink on duty…"  
Lily grasped the flask, made a sip, and the alcohol burnt her throat, yet she manly swallowed it, and it felt as if she swallowed a clot of fire.

"Good girl," James threw the flask into the lying nearby backpack. Lily noticed that everyone has brought their stuff up, and now the roof was full of empty cigarette packages and bottles. Some freaky picnic that is.

The speakers suddenly produced a stunningly loud sound that made the entire crowd go crazy.

Heartbeat.

It seemed that was the heart of the stage itself, the entire crowd, and everyone in it. The girls' screech became louder, joined by the dull roar of men's approval. Lily felt the car underneath her swang.

All of a sudden, out of the gigantic speakers there bursted strange, unconnected sounds and the crowd screamed in excitement, shouted, stomped, raised their hands, and in that exact instant all projectors lit up and the stage got covered in smoke.

The show has begun.  
Along with the first sounds of drums there appeared guitarists in shiny fur and leather jackets. The new influx of delight was so strong that the line of the aurors protecting the stage could barely hold the pressure.

There poured the rhythmic synthesizer melody and after it came the torn apart sounds of the guitars.

The musicians of 'The Weird Sisters', those loved-by-everyone Gods of magic music, images of whose faces were decorating the rooms and clothes of tens of thousands of people, were playing the introduction unhurriedly and lazily, as if just practicing, without noticing the shoreless sea of the fans, who were dying from the desire to be noticed.

The music poured on and on, repeating the same melody. The sounds of the synthesizer were falling into the hungry mouths of the crowd, were dropping into the black starry sky like a water from a parallel world.

Along with a double strike of the bass-guitar, the stage with a roar erupted flames into the skies. For a moment, the black crowd became orange, and when the fire disappeared, everyone saw that on stage there appeared a small human figure in a long leather coat. The common humming entirely turned into the girls' squealing, thousands and thousands of hands rose up in the air and were now reaching towards the stage.

 

_«Walking, waiting_

_Alone without a care_

_Hoping, and hating_

_Things that I can't bear»_

 

A huge monitor lit up right above the stage. Its appearance caused a frightened cry: the kids from the wizard families were not familiar with such technical miracles. Anyhow, now all of them, even those too far away, were able to see the pale chiseled face of Myron Wagtail framed with wavy fair hair. The vampire stared into the crowd and in the depth of his black tired, languid eyes as if resin began boiling: one would think that he suddenly acknowledged the dirtiest secrets of each one, who gathered there. Continuing to sing, Myron dramatically threw off his coat, exposing his flexible naked torso in a black net. The crowd roared in cheer, and the female part of it almost died from happiness, when the coat, yet smelling of their idol, was thrown into their hands.

 

_«Did you think it's cool to walk right up_

_To take my life and fuck it up_

_Well did you_

_Well did you»_

 

Myron was caressing the microphone with his hands and lips as if it was a neck of a beautiful girl. The fan girls were drowning in tears looking at the screen and were scraping their faces with nails, spreading the smudged mascara all over their faces.  
All of a sudden the music got lower, so you could only hear the roaring sound of the crowd, a second, and after it again – the explosion and crash of guitars. Myron spread his arms and the wind hit him.

 

_«I see hell in your eyes_

_Taken in by suprise_

_And touching you makes me feel alive_

_Touching you makes me die inside»_

 

He shouted out the lines abruptly, as if giving the commands. The crowd echoed him, rhythmically throwing up in the air their firsts, flashlights and magic wands.

The music was detonating the night.

The fire was making the sky burning hot.

The fan girls were throwing their underwear, flowers and some notes at the stage, yet Myron did not pay any attention to that.

It seemed he did not notice the audience at all.

The song took him over. It was like every single line was giving him physical pleasure and now he was generously sharing it with ten thousand people…

He either buckled impulsively at the very edge of the stage, so that the first row was stretching out trying to reach him, all screaming hysterically and choking with tears, or would bend in and step back, pressing himself against the wall of the stage – and at such moments he looked more like a dangerous animal, frightened by the shouts of the crowd. Then he would rush towards the crowd again and…

 

_«I've slept so long without you_

_It's tearing me apart too_

_How'd it get this far_

_Playing games with this old heart_

_I've killed a million petty souls_

_But I couldn't kill you»*_

 

Most probably, such violent animal sexuality was simply a part of his image.  
Although… it would be hard to simulate something like that.

However, Lily was not thinking about that.

She could not think about anything at all and was only staring at Myron, suffocating from something that was pressing in her chest and has paralyzed her entire body.

Suddenly, with a movement of a winner, he put his leg in a leather boot on top of one of the speakers and bent towards the first row, burning with a frightening subordinating look the girls, who were all crying and begging him to take them into his life.

The guards could barely hold the pressure.  
Myron stretched out his white hand towards the reaching out to him fan girls.  
"Lily, oh my God, oh my God, I can't!" shrieked Alice, thrusting all ten of her nails into Lily's arm. "I CAN'T, IWANTHIM, LILY! I WANT HIM SO BAD!" she laughed and suddenly fell upon Lily's shoulder, covering her face with her hands. The cry was bursting out of her chest in shreds.

"Me too," whispered Lily with her lips only. Her eyes for no reason got filled with tears and when she pressed her fingers to her cheek, she felt something warm drop on them.  
"More-e-e?" asked Myron when the first song finished. It sounded so intimate and thrillingly that the fan girls' voices united into one big begging mourn…

The song 'Abandoned' told a story of a muggle guy, whom two female vampires converted into their wild faith. Once at the chorus, Myron suddenly accelerated, pushed off from the edge of the stage and, accompanied by the stunning shout of the fans, threw himself into the crowd.

Lily did not even understand when she jumped up, feeling that everyone else did so as well. She was certain that Myron would get torn apart to pieces, but when she saw that the bunch of aurors prepared especially for that securely held the priceless body of her idol, Lily felt both disappointment and relief. Myron paid no attention at all to the love bordering with insanity around him, and was simply swimming through the crowd, not noticing even the hands that were grabbing his hair and clothes. He simply kept singing, yet now we was close enough for Lily to see his Adam's apple moving, and also how the light was sliding upon his covered in leather hip.

On the screen instead of Myron there appeared the crowd. The audience got so excited seeing themselves on the screen; everyone started pointing at it, as if no one has noticed it before.

"Look, Lily, it's us!" yelled Alice, poking her finger towards the screen, and Lily, all this time gazing at Myron, looked at the screen and saw there a completely unfamiliar, burning with excitation face with feverishly glowing eyes.

"Smile, Evans!" yelled Potter out of nowhere, she forgot all about him, but then suddenly he showed up at the screen right next to her, as shaggy and crazy as usual, and kissed her on the cheek. She hardly felt it – Myron was already on stage, and his face came back on the screen.

When Myron was singing the song about the muggle girl who had the sweetest blood in the world, some young witch, about 15 years old, has somehow broken the guard line and ran out on stage.

Barely conscious and stumbling (probably her legs were not listening to her); she dashed to Myron and, without further ado, jumped at him, clasping her arms on his neck and crying hysterically. You could see the girl very clearly on the screen: distorted red face, tangled hair, smudged mascara - she was the embodiment of hysteria. However, Myron, to give him the credit, not only did not stop the performance when she attacked him, but also gave the aurors the sign not to interfere.

The girl was grabbing the celebrity body of her idol and was choking with the tears of happiness, and he, getting the mic out of the stand just in time, stepped back under her pressure, gently hugged the infelicitous fan with one hand, and was swinging with her on one place, as if slow dancing.

Rapidly coming back to his image, Myron bent over to her tense neck, so that the screen showed his fangs, and gave such a look into the crowd, that everyone was certain: he was going to bite her now.

The girls were gulping down poison watching as some female body dressed into blue jeans and a t-shirt was unpunishably cuddling up to their God, touching him, like he was some ordinary human, and moreover crying when doing so. And he was not only not pushing this missy away, but as if was protecting her and even loving her for those endless couple of minutes of her being on stage…

This was too much.

The intoxication and excitement grew into hatred. The fan girls were grinning in rage, desire to be the ones for him and need of absolute all-consuming love.

Probably, Myron figured that the atmosphere heated up a bit, as he tried to gently pass the poor thing into the hands of the healers, but she did not want to go and kept clinging onto his hands and falling on her knees.

Nevertheless, he finished singing and came to the age of the stage, once again put his foot on top of the speaker and threw both of his hands up in the air, one of which was still holding the mic.

Lily thought that all of those girls in the first row would tear him to pieces once he got closer to the edge, but they only cried louder, stretching out their lives to him.

It seemed, if Myron would not take at least one more of them up on stage, a catastrophe would happen…

Smiling, Myron turned away, and a new song began, and among the crowd, there were again seen some lemon colored robes.

"This is so rad!" cheerfully informed Roxanne glowing and sweating from happiness assistant.

That night in the VIP box there gathered the welkin of the magic music: 'The Goblins' – the veterans of the rock-music, the band that used to be called 'Hop-Goblins', the peers of 'The Goblins', Dan Capulet – the ghost tenor from Italy, who could burst glass with his voice during the performances, Sylestine Warlock and a bunch of other celebrities. Roxanne was sitting next to the band called 'Pixie Padstow'. All of them were annoying her terribly – those pretty-looking boys with bright make up. It was obvious that they wanted to show each and every one that by being present at that concert their band was doing a huge favor to Myron himself and to the entire world altogether. However, Roxanne saw that they were nearly barfing from envy right there. This year 'The Weird Sisters' overtook them in the radio charts and also have sold the number of albums these doll-boys could never even dream about in their lifetimes.

"Can imagine what kind of stink there is on the stage now," uttered one of them, not talking to anyone in particular. "We should ask for it to be disinfected prior to our performance."

Sylestine Warlock, who looked like a Cleopatra in her golden costume, turned her head a little and her huge earrings flushed furiously.

"In general I don't get it…all of them are peeing themselves with excitement there, but as to me, Myron is an ordinary freak. Everyone knows that he takes the audience over by simply walking around the stage being dead and tucking his ass into leather pants. He doesn't even have any outstanding skills, no voice, no music hearing, who knows what…"  
Dan Capulet, being not less 'dead' than Myron, looked at the daring boy with his half-transparent eyes, and waiting for him to blush at his stare, dignified, turned away in silence.

"Is your name Chris?" spoke up Roxanne, keeping silent until now. Before leaving for the backstage the assistant introduced her to everyone, yet she still felt awkward with all of those names.

Until the last second.

"So what if it is Chris," lazily said the guy, looking at her languidly. "And you are the underlay for that bloodsucker, right?" The rest of the band members, less active, uncomfortably moved on their seats.

Roxanne arched her lips, and kept chewing her gum and looking at the screen, as if nothing has happened. A waiter approached them.

She remembered how Myron dropped the mug with the hard-won challenging soothing potion, because his hands were shaking from abstinence syndrome, and they had to make it all over again…

"No, I am his second-fucking-cousin sister-werewolf," Roxanne sharply kicked the leg of his chair with a foot. The chair broke, Chris came crashing to the floor, and before he could do anything, Roxanne pressed his fingers with her boot, making him whimper like a girl. "And I advise you to shut the fuck up in case you don't want me to insert that bottle into your ass."  
The waiter gasped, understanding she was speaking of his twenty years old champagne.

The guests froze with the glasses in their hands, obviously confused about what they should do with them now. Sylestine's eyes became as big as saucers.

Roxanne smiled at Chris impertinently, pressing the gum between her teeth.  
"So, are you ready to give up your virginity for your words?" she reached for the bottle. Seeing how Chris twitched, she laughed and put her feet right on top of the upholstered with velvet enclosure.

"Screw you!" she jumped up, taking out his wand, though his age did not allow him to conjure. He looked around helplessly and… left the room so fast as if someone has conjured him with a disappearance spell.

Roxanne saw the rest of the band out with a satisfied look and clasped her hands on the back of her head.

The forest in the meanwhile was shaken with yet another thunder-like chorus, and suddenly the cannons instead of the flames produced out the clouds of black smoke.

Roxanne picked up sharply and dashed to the fence so fast, she almost fell out of the box.

She has seen this smoke before…  
Oh no…

No, no, no!  
"MYRON!" yelled Roxanne in a changed from fright voice, which, of course, was pointless, because he would never hear her in such noise.

She had to run, she had to warn, to tell… but Roxanne could not make herself move and only watched in horror how upon the very stage the figures in black masks appeared…

The musicians cut off playing the song. Myron dashingly turned around.  
The crowd kept making noise, but the noise itself changed: it became an anxious murmur of the sea before the strike of a thunder…

The people in masks surrounded the musicians into a tight ring.

The crowd was doubtful for merely a second, and after it erupted with cheerful screams and applause.

Everyone was sure: that is a part of a show.  
Even the aurors' squad was not doing anything, they were just watching carefully for the crowd not to press too hard and not to disturb the musicians.

The screen was simply showing all that was happening, passionlessly.

Then those in masks, all as one, took out their wands.

The humming of the crowd descended so abruptly as if someone has turned down the volume regulator.

A second of a hollow silence.

"These are the Death Eaters!" screamed someone in the crowd and then…

"DEATH TO THE MUDBLOODS!" separately chanted these voices, and, before anyone could do anything or even move, the stage, together with all who were on it, got demolished in a monstrous explosion.

People in the black mantles as if ants poured into the crowd, sowing panic…

The green flares – not the bright and bristling colors of the flashlights, but short and matte, tore the darkness apart.

All you could hear was shrieking.

Panic took over the ten-thousand-people crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * David Draiman Of Orgy - Slept So Long
> 
> Written under impression of this:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mODTRfjP1L8
> 
> The image of Myron-Lestat belongs to Madam Rice.  
> Sometimes this fanfic is a kind of crossover and includes the hidden (or not much) intertext from other books and movies.


	14. Survive at any cost

Another song began and instead of the fog, clouds of black smoke gushed onto the stage.  
James mechanically raised his hands and clapped, peering into the dark clouds that flowed over the stage without dissipating.  
Something was wrong.  
“Prongs!”  
James turned, and at that exact moment the stage once again belched the fire out into the sky, causing the audience scream in excitement. The light briefly picked out Padfoot’s face, distorted with fear.  
James spun around and among the bewildered crowd, he saw motionless figures in black coats and masks.  
They stood like statues and were simply watching the stage - absolutely motionless, except for the eyes gleaming through the slots of the masks.  
James’ heart dropped down to his stomach.  
"Damn it!"  
"We need to leave!" said Sirius, jumped to his feet and grabbed the sides of the rug.  
There was another burst of guitars and a hoarse voice of Myron hammered in the chest, mixing with the beating of panic heart.  
Sirius finally pulled the rug, and the crowd got poured with cans, bottles and bags of potato chips.  
Lily felt someone squeez her arm just above the elbow.  
"What's going on?"  
"Lily, get in the car now!" Potter looked... scared.  
"What?" she was frustrated. "Wh..."  
"I said: get in the car right now!"  
He had never spoken to her in such a tone. In another situation, it would be a pleasure to put the captain to his place, but now his voice had something in it that caused her to obey immediately.

 

Fear.  
Fear in his voice and that strange non-Potter look...  
She never thought that James Potter could get scared of something.  
She jumped into the cabin, feeling someone catch her in the dark. Then that same someone caught Alice, and then, swearing and knocking items, climbed to the driver's seat, which was now taken by Gideon Pruett. Lily recognized his red hair the next time the night was lit on fire.  
"What is happening there?" was heard the indignant voice of Dorcas - she jumped into the cabin and hissed, hitting the corner of the table.  
"Get off my feet, Meadows!" that was said by Marlene. She was the last to get into the cabin and shut the door.  
"Are you sure it will fly?" she heard Sirius’ hurried voice.  
"I don't understand, what’s happening?" Alice yelled. "Sirius!"  
"I don't know, these cars were collected by Molly's husband, he said it would fly! Do you trust him?" Gideon snapped.  
"No! Start the car!" the door slid aside, Sirius jumped out.  
This was too much.  
"Sirius, what the hell is going on for Merlin’s sake?!" shouted Lily, rushing after him.

 

"...there they could hide and wait through...whatever is going to happen."  
They quickly went through the crowd. Initially to Remus it did not seem that huge, he thought they would pass it easily, but now there was a feeling that everything: buildings and other cities have ceased to exist, and elsewhere around the world, these were only dancing screaming people in silly costumes.  
He was going towards the flying cars, leading a small group of boys who had agreed to stay and let the women and children get a chance to leave first.  
James and Sirius were doing the same thing on the other side of the field.  
"Maybe it would be better for them to stay?" asked Fabian. "More or less, it's help..."  
"It's not help, it's a drag. Also, if they get away, they will be able to inform the Ministry."  
"It's not more than ten Eaters there!" breathlessly reported Benjy, catching up to Remus and the tiny group of boys who walked behind him. "But they are right next to the car. They surrounded it and just stand there. They will not let them fly away."  
The boys looked at each other.

 

"I sit behind the wheel!" said the white as a sheet, Fabian. His teeth were chattering as if from the cold. "I'll get them out, I promise, I rode these things before."  
Remus looked at him briefly.  
It seemed that he now would faint from fear, but instead Fabian only clenched his jaw and frowned his stubbornly flashing eyes.  
"Fine, Fabe," briefly said Remus. There was no time to fall apart in gratitude and praise, each second was precious.  
"Cover us when we take off, or they will break us down right in the air!"  
"Sure thing! Go!"  
Fabian nodded and dived into the crowd, moving to one of the cars, on the roof of which there carelessly sat a group of the Hufflepuff students embracing a keg of butterbeer; the rest moved on to other cars.  
"I'm with him!" suddenly shouted Benjy and hurried, sideways squeezeing himself into the fans.  
"Peter, can you take the third car for yourself?" Remus rashly apologized to some girl, who he had pushed so hard that she had spilled her beer onto her neighbor.  
"Me?" Wormtail turned gray. "No, I cannot, Remus, what are you saying..."  
"What is your name?" Remus hurriedly asked the blond guy who was walking on his other side.  
"Sturgis Podmore" they shook hands on the move.  
"Help him, Sturgis," Remus tapped the new acquaintance on the shoulder and turned to the fourth car, which was all plastered with Ravenclaw students.

 

From behind there came Evans's voice, but Sirius didn’t hear what she said, slamming the door. At the same moment he was suddenly bumped by James from the side.  
"I counted ten. There will be only a couple of seconds; you have to cover the car with Protego. As soon as it will begin to move they are likely to blow it to hell. Who is driving?"  
"Gideon."  
"Good. You know the action plan, as we agreed, simultaneously..."  
"After all, immediately look at me, both of you!"  
They dashingly turned around. Evans was holding the door- the one Sirius thought he closed. Behind her back they could see the scared gleaming eyes of other girls. 

"No time, Evans," Sirius grabbed the door. They definitely did not need any ‘snotting’ and showdowns now.  
"Wait!" James suddenly pressed against the door, not letting him close it. "Evans, do you know medical magic well?"  
"Yes," in the redhead's voice there tinkled an alert. Here it goes now. "James, what is going on?"  
Sirius snorted.  
Here comes the snotting.  
"Nothing much..." Suddenly the Death Eaters Sirius kept watch of took off and moved straight towards the stage.  
It had begun.  
Panicking, he grabbed James by his collar, trying to tear him away from the car. James rapidly turned around.  
"The Eaters are here, Lily, the Death Eaters."  
"What?!"  
"Gideon will take you all out as far as possible, there you wait through until these beasts are gone," he said hastily. "You will get an owl there, send a message to the Ministry, and then run to the road and call the 'Night ..."  
"You lot are not staying here, Potter! Get in the car, quickly!"  
"No, we will cover you, stay here, and you..."  
"Then I am staying with you," decidedly declared Lily.  
Sirius nearly howled with annoyance.  
"No, you are getting in the way!"  
Thank you, Prongs.  
"Potter!"  
"Evans, I cannot do anything if I will have to turn around on you all the time. Evans, promise me that you will not come back, no matter what, no matter what happens - do not come out of hiding!"  
"What? No! Potter, this is insane, you cannot..."  
"JAMES!" snapped Sirius, because it was impossible to hold back- the Eaters were already on the stage. There were only a few seconds before ... whatever they had conceived.  
James nervously turned around and looked at Lily once again.  
What if they never saw each other again?

"Everything will be fine, I promise," he could not hold himself from touching her face and neck, and then slam closed the door. The engine roared.  
"No!"  
Someone had grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from the door.  
It was Alice.  
"Lily, don't!"  
"Hold on there!" shouted Gideon.  
Suddenly, there came a thunderclap above them. There came a sound of a terrible, growling voice, over which Lily ceased to hear her own.  
"DEATH TO MUDBLOODS!"

* * *

Peter ran, skipping, after the huge body of Sturgis, who easily made his way through the crowd. He thought that James and Sirius were out of their minds to have decided to bring themselves into a voluntary sacrifice. And all the others too. It was clear that they should be running! Now!  
He kept thinking that at any moment one of the figures in the masks would pop out from the crowd, and he had no idea what was he should do if that happened Of course, he pulled out his wand, like everyone else, but the fear caused the thoughts to curl into a tight ball, and he couldn’t think of a single spell from memory.  
From his fear, he quietly whined, and when Sturgis dashed the door of the car open and thundered "Everyone, get in the car now, the Death Eaters are here!" he felt especially ill.  
He was so scared, his legs were numb.  
The Death Eaters?!  
Why hadn’t anyone tell him right away?  
He began to choke.  
"I want to go home...I want to go home!!!"  
"All scream 'Protego' at the count on three!" the Sturgis guy shouted.  
"What?!"  
"One..."  
"I didn't hear, repeat what you said?!" Peter hysterically shouted.  
"Two..."  
"DEATH TO MUDBLOODS!"  
"Three!"  
Peter was frightened; he waved his wand, forgetting to say the spell. His hands were sweating so much that the wand slipped out and fell somewhere on the ground.  
He mechanically rushed after it, and a terrible thing happened.  
The earth shook under him, and after that, the sky and the forest, and the stage, and the whole world broke into pieces and rushed up in the crash and the roar was so loud that Peter was deaf for a long few seconds and could not hear anything but the subtle, mosquito-like whine...  
People screamed and ran, someone hit Peter in the gut with a boot, the next strike went into the face- his mouth was flooded by something salty, one of his molars cracked.  
The guy named Sturgis shouted something again, and his eyes burned from the flashes of colors of spells.

 

When the first explosion rumbled, Roxanne was already running down a spiral staircase from the VIP box, when the second rumbled- the explosion demolishing the upper part of the box, and Roxanne, who miraculously found herself downstairs, saw what was happening outside. The barrier of Aurors fell, and a handful of survivors tried to repel the Death Eaters, who were advancing on the crowd from the forest, ripped it from the inside, appeared out of the darkness and blew up the ground beneath the feet of the panicking mass of people.  
Roxanne jumped right into the mass, and was immediately nearly taken down: the people ran blindly, without seeing anything in front of them, as a flock of frightened animals.  
The stage was raging over all this horror as a gigantic bonfire. The fire spread to the trees. The decorations were swept through the meadow, and here and there were scattered spotlights, boxes from the speakers, countless boards, and pieces of equipment. Occasionally something exploded on stage, and everyone covered their heads when the crowd was poured with a rain of hot sparks and wires. The smoke drifted above all this as a cloud, constantly illuminated with colored lightning flashes. People were coughing and choking. If someone fell into this mad stampede, they did not get a chance to get up anymore, but Roxanne was still stubbornly straining against the movement of the crowd back, towards the stage. From all around there came the sounds of the agonizing groans and sickening crunch of breaking bones. People fell - you had to jump above them. Some got fluttered in the air like pigs on the hook, and were grabbing by the hair and hands those who stayed on the ground. When someone grabbed Roxanne's hair, she struck the air with a wand without looking and blurted the Immolation spell, so the grip immediately disappeared.  
No time to think about the others.  
She was sure - Myron, that immortal vampire, damn him, was alive, somewhere in this fire, possibly badly wounded and in need of help, so she kept tearing through further and further, but it was like fighting a mountain river.  
The Death Eaters (she did not see them, but felt their presence crawling over her skin) shouted out the spells, laughed, yelled, being loud enough to distinguish their voices from the common hubbub.  
Seeing in front the tall figures in the pointed hats, Roxanne barely made it to the pile of burning trash, pushing people, and huddled in a huge empty box, which formerly was a column. The sharp smell of burnt plastic punched into the nose, crawled into the throat, and she covered her mouth with both hands to avoid being sick from the unbearable stench ... and the sounds of those who did not manage to hide and were now caught by the Eaters.  
She waited for them to pass by, and again started towards the stage...  
That is when someone’s hands grabbed her.  
Roxanne did not even have time to get frightened, she only felt a blinding rage, and got ready to fight, bite and scratch...when she looked up, she experienced a shock much stronger than the attack itself or the view of the exploding stage have caused her…  
From the slot of the mask at her stared the familiar and beloved light-gray eyes of her brother Lucius.  
"No..." Roxanne shied back, the picture suddenly blurred, a look of horror in the eyes of her brother drowned in the sudden darkness, and the next moment there was a smash over the head - above them in the air with a roar there swept a Muggle bus. The spells of the Eaters poured onto it like a never-ending fireworks, but the car maneuvered in the air, somersault, pulling it on one, then on the other side, and the spell strike sharply broke off, bumping into a protective barrier. Five cars took off from the crowd into the night sky, a few flew away. One of the cars took off late, its’ windshield got hit by a spell, and the car broke out in mid-air. The humming sound of the fire and the roar of metal there broke through by the heart-rending cries of people, and then the car crashed into the crowd.  
"It's going to explode!"  
"Run!"  
A girl shrieked.  
"Lie down!"  
She got knocked down. A second, the impact on the cold ground - and it seems that she will never be able to breathe again. Roxanne twitched, trying to get out and inhale, but then the explosion came, bursting so that the earth was shaken, and upon the ground, in the fountain of mud and stones, there crashed the burning wreckage. Random savior closed her and his head with his hands, but as soon as the "rain" fell silent, she force pushed him away and jumped to her feet, running rushed to the stage.  
"Don't go there!" yelled Sirius, when a girl in a leather jacket, who he in the last moment managed to knock upon the ground, jumped up and like crazy ran right into the flames. He tried catching the unwise youngster by the scruff, but she snipped her wand at him, and a burn got swollen on his hand. "What an idiot," swore Sirius.  
The fire reached the last surviving lamp. The blast demolished the surviving part of the scenery, and those with a crash and a bang swept away exactly that part of the crowd the girl disappeared into.  
"What an idiot..." he whispered quite in a different tone, and then right in front of him there flashed a dazzling green flare, at once cutting off Sirius from the rest of the world. His heart leapt painfully, missing a beat, he turned in a bounce, grabbing his wand, but tripped - giddy at the thought that he could be dead. However, he did not even have time to pick up his wand, as the Eater, who encroached on his life, suddenly barked in a strange way and fell to the ground face down, and Sirius saw James standing behind him.  
Breathing heavily, Potter descended his wand. There was still blood pouring from his wounded eyebrow and cheekbone - he was injured by the splinter of the car.  
"Nice one, James!" merrily shouted Sirius, but James had no time to reply: the Eaters, from whom they have ‘taken away’ the car, and who were following James across the entire field, were running towards them, tossing their wands.  
They took to their heels.  
"Who was in the fourth car?!" yelled James, on the go leaping over an outspread on the ground body, and at random throwing a paralyzing spell at their persecutors.  
"Who the fuck knows! We need to find Moony!" Sirius inhaled loudly, seeing that they were running right into the crowd of the Death Eaters.  
There was no way back.  
"Back to back!" shouted James, bumping into him.

* * *

The car made a full flip.  
Lily, Alice, Marlene and Dorcas tumbled at each other and crashed together, first into one wall, then another, and then as a bunch fell into the tail of the bus, trying to protect themselves from the falling lamps and chairs.  
Gideon cursed viciously and was turning the wheel in a way Lily often saw little boys twist it in the gaming salons.  
The car dived, rose up, entered into a tailspin - the girls were winding around the cabin, together with all the things, they tried clinging to the furniture bolted to the floor, but it did not help. It seemed that they got sucked into the vortex. Lily heard one of her neighbors being sick.  
Who knows for how long they would be spinning around like that, if it would ever stop, or if they could not get to the windows and conjure a huge impenetrable bubble of protective charms around the car.  
Once they have done this, the rotation stopped. As the spells of the Eaters broke off on a protective barrier, the bus began to ascend and now flew directly towards the woods.  
Below there was a real nightmare. The Eaters were attacking, crushing tents in camps over which they flew, burned, blew things up, destroyed and killed. At the very moment when she, Lily, was in complete safety, the people on the ground fled the burning town like a flock, blind and helpless, and their plaintive cry merged into one desperate call for help, any help ...  
All these sounds...  
They were unbearable.

Marlene was sitting, leaning her head against the padded with velvet wall of the van, pressing hands to her ears. Dorcas was crying, also clamping her ears and hiding her face in Marlene's shoulder. Her lips moved silently. Alice was choking with tears, she sank her teeth into the knuckles, and moaned whenever explosion rattled underneath and threw the pain of others all around in splashes of cries.  
Lily looked at them for a few seconds. The decision has come to her already. And she knew she would not depart from it.  
But ... what right does she have to involve the others into that? Maybe they do not want ... do not want to risk like that?  
Another explosion. Louder than the previous ones.  
Lily sharply pulled down her sweater and shouted in a broken voice:  
"Gideon, turn back!"  
Alice gasped and turned to Lily with huge, tearful eyes, Dorcas turned so sharply, as if got electric shocks, and Marlene readily jumped to her feet.  
"What?" shouted Gideon, turned to the salon and saw the reigning there unanimity. "Evans, you're out of your mind? No! It's crazy, dammit!"  
"Gid, we are needed below! There are so many wounded, don't you hear the cries?!"  
"If we go back, we will join their number! No, Evans, get back to your seat!"  
"Gideon!"  
"Gideon, please!" pleaded Marlene.  
"No, you’re crazy! I will not risk it! Sit down and fasten your seat belts, if you do not want me to throw you out of the car now!"  
Lily took out her wand. Alice, Marlene and Dorcas looked at her, frightened, a second hesitation - and they did the same thing. Their faces, smeared with mud and glistening with sweat burned with determination.  
"Gideon Prewett!" Lily pointed her wand directly into the back of a classmate. "Right. This. Second. Turn. Around. This. Car!"

 

"Debus, I am delling dyou, I am dot do bdame for abyding!" Sturgis grabbed the guy's shoulder when he vomited once again, and helped to stay on his feet.  
Remus gasped - stomach was already empty, but still continued to turn inside out, as soon as the sweetish smell of carrion reached the nose of the werewolf.  
"You should have been his cover ..." whispered the guy and got into a twisted spasm again. "You were together ... do not touch me!"  
"It bas dike de dank indo de ground, I bould bot dook afder doth dim and de car! Damn dyou, dook at me, sdop puking!"

 

He finally straightened Remus and forced him to make an eye contact.  
Sturgis Padmore's face resembled a bloody mess, the lips were swollen, one eye swollen shut, his blonde hair matted with blood, his nose was broken, thus he was speaking nasally.  
"Where did you last see him?" Remus asked, wiping his mouth.  
“Defore de expdosion de bust have bade a shield, bud in de dast bobent de disabeared somebere,” Sturgis noisily blew his blood on the ground.  
Remus took a deep breath and shouted:  
"Peter! Pete!"  
Nothing. There were still a lot of people around, although there was as many lying on the ground now, too.  
Many were still moving, many were already lying motionless. The Eaters just passed here and now drove their "flock" into the forest.  
"Peter!" shouted Remus again, tearing his voice, and from the ground there replied a faint wheeze:  
"Remus!"  
"Quiet!" Remus stood, grabbing the sleeve of Sturgis. There was silence. Then he tried again "Pete-er!"  
This time, no one answered - but instead, a bit further, in the blazing with orange fire darkness, there crumbled a small fountain of red sparks.  
Remus stumbled rushed there and saw the body sprawled on the ground, pressed by a piece of the door of a minibus.  
"Mary..." Remus gasped, recognizing from afar the oat-color mop of hair scattered on the ground. He did not understand how he broke into a run. "Mary!"  
"Debus, det down!"  
Sturgis knocked him down - above his head there flashed a green flare.

 

"Do not kill me!"  
The scary eyes in the mask slot narrowed as he said it, and the Eater, who kept him at gunpoint, laughed.  
"Hey, look...Mudblood wants to his mom? Mudblood is scared?"  
Peter, in spite of the fear, thought that this man had a nice voice. How can he be a Death Eater, if he has such a nice and insinuating voice?  
"I am not... I am not a Mudblood..." Peter whispered. "I'm of pure blood."  
"What's this mouse squeaking, I cannot hear!" the Second Eater, to the giggles of the others, circled him around. For good five minutes now Peter has been hung in the air upside down - the blood rushed to his face and was pounding in his ears.  
"Please... let me go..." Peter gasped when a wand got pressed to his stomach. "D-don't" he groaned. "P-please... I'm here by accident..."  
"By accident?!" One of those who watched from the side, suddenly rushed closer to him, but the one who poked a wand into Peter, threw his hand out, and the Eater ran into it as a barrier. "By accident you've come to the concert of the mudbloods, yeah, yeah?!"  
"Hush... the poor fellow is going to crap himself from the fear."  
"Where did you even find him?"  
"He was hiding in one of the exploded cars...cowardly rat."  
"You say he would crap himself, huh?" the Eater drew a straight line on the stomach with his wand and Peter really felt all twisted inside. "In this case, I propose to release his intestine before it is too late..."  
"You'll get yours released first!"  
The Eater was thrown away from Peter with such force that he flew good couple of meters and fell on all the others.  
They began to grasp their wands, but as if from a hose onto them poured a stream of paralyzing and disabling spells - James, Fabian Pruett and Benjy Fenwick pounced on them like a pack of hungry young wolves. A huge black dog, one that looked like a bear, rushed at one of the Death Eaters and threw him to the ground. Fabric crackled, there was a heart-rending cry, a flare flashed, a short squeal - Sirius, turning in the air, fell to the grass, but then picked up with a truly canine roar rushed to the offender, grasping his wand. The Eaters first tried to attack them back, but the guys, all flushed by a long struggle for survival in the crowd, wounds, and before that - rock music, were too strong for them, so their attack quickly turned into a retreat, and, after a couple of minutes of sobbing and stammering, Peter collapsed on the ground, thinking that that was the last time he listened to James Potter and went, where he told him to...

* * *

"Do you still have some left?" James fixed the glasses (which broke for a countless time during the evening) and put them on the slippery with sweat and blood nose.  
Sirius, making a tiny sip of the firewhiskey from the flask, moaned in pain, covering his mouth with his hand and lurching forward, threw the flask to James afterwards.  
They found a temporary refuge in the burnt down tent town A. From the grand fire that raged here about an hour ago, there remained only silent and dead ashes - now the screams came from the other towns. Around were the wooden frames, fabric scraps, a lot of charred furniture, household goods, shoes and handbags.  
James, Sirius, Peter, Fabian and Benjy found shelter under something that, apparently, was once a magnificent oriental tent. Taking turns, they climbed out of the shelter and were seeking through ashes for survivors, and that small group was sitting next to them, trying to heal their wounds with magic.  
"Okay, so what do we have?" hissed James, dropping the liquid from the flask onto the deep cut on his leg. "Alive are about fifteen people, almost thirty are dead, the apparition block has not been taken off, and we are sitting here like mice in a mousetrap," he threw the flask to Peter, who had much less wounds than the others, and who had to make a sip only because Sirius was very attentively watching the bottle in his hands. "Do accept my congratulations, gentlemen. We are fucked up.”  
"Yet alive," observed Sirius. "We could also be slowly decomposing in the magic grass, yet we are sitting here, drinking," he saluted to the others. "As for me, the sally appeared to be very successful." He laughed and James joined him. The laughter came out quite frightening.  
"How can you say something like that?" Peter was shaking. "They are scavenging all around... here! Like... like..." making metaphors was not his strong side. "Like animals! There are corpses all around... and you... I cannot stay here anymore, I don't want to!"  
"Stop whining, Wormtail!"  
James gave out a deep sigh, turned away from them and looked at the unfamiliar redhead witch, whom he pulled out from the burning decorations. He has nearly gone mad from the thought of her being Lily.  
In the name of Merlin, let her be alive...please, just let her be alive...  
"...it's that I’m sick of always getting into shit!"  
"Well, stay at home then!"  
"Shut up," James said sharply.  
Sirius, looking as a duelist, surrounded by several opponents, sharply turned towards him and saw James looking at the bright-red hair of the witch.  
"Calm down, Prongs, everything is fine with your Evans!" he smacked him on the back, the hit came right upon the fresh bruise, yet James did not react. "She is perfectly able to kill anyone herself! Remember how she caught us with a bottle of 'Ogden' in the library? All of that is nothing compared to what she then..."

"Hey, guys!"  
They turned around.  
Benjy and Fabian returned.  
Prewett was carrying a girl, about six years old. Benjy was walking heavily, dragging his feet like an old man. They found the girl in a tent, she was unconscious, and her parents were there, too. According to the state they were in, the Eaters have swaggered before leaving.

"There was lots of muggle tech stuff, those square things," clarified Benjy after telling the entire story. "It seems, they are seeking out muggles. The entire tent there was full of..."  
The girl moved, and he stopped talking.  
Silence slowly interlocked above the dead tent town.  
"We have to go further, look for ours," decisively said James when he and Sirius returned from the "scouting" with empty hands. "We cannot lose time. Maybe they need our help, and we are just sitting here."  
On the road, leading to the neighboring town, there was heard a noise - the engine roared, and the bushes were cracking.  
They all jumped to their feet, tossing out the wands.  
The sound was on the increase, and suddenly in the darkness with blinding milk color there flashed the headlights.  
"Gideon!" shrilly shouted Fabian, though from such distance it was impossible to see the driver.  
Scratched, dented, dirty with stains of green juice, the car with a squeal flew into the wreckage of some tent and froze, drowning in the clouds of ashes. There was no door on it, the expansion spell fell, and everyone saw the crowded cabin, looking like a big tin can full of fish. Gideon Prewett, from head to toe covered in soot, jumped out of the bus and flew into his brother’s arms with such force that he almost knocked him off his feet.  
The wounded joyfully rushed towards the car. James collected the remains of the water and food into his backpack, Sirius picked up the girl. Looking around nervously, they ran about ten meters through the open space, and finally reached the car.  
"Gideon, what the hell? Where are the others?" shouted James, pouncing on the go on the glowing Prewett.  
"Cool off, Potter, I can expla..."  
James grabbed him upon the chest, slamming him into a side of the car.  
Everyone got silent, frightened.  
"Let go!"  
"Who is with them?"  
"I..."

"James!" hearing this new voice, James could not help but unclench hands. "Let him go, everybody is alive!"  
A shabby shaggy man heavily got out of the car, and if it were not the familiar eyes, James would have never recognized him.  
"Moony!" he gasped.

 

The teenager gave out a scream full of pain, when his knee came back to its place making a cracking sound. Lily had no time to comfort him; others were in need of her help. She quickly bandaged the boy's leg with a piece of some splodgy sheet and rushed to a girl, upon whose forehead someone has burnt out "Mudblood".  
She was flouncing from one injured to another, and their distorted with pain faces, open wounds, dislocated limbs were floating before her eyes. She felt sick from the smell of the dirty human bodies, her hands were weakening from tiredness, but everyone needed help, and there was no time to think about how bad she was feeling.  
When Gideon had landed the car in some thicket, they didn’t have even ten minutes before running against the group in the black masks. The encounter would not last long, given that the odds were clearly not on the side of the five students, when suddenly from the trees upon the Death Eaters started destroying the bowtruckles. They began methodically and violently putting out their eyes. And after the inhabitants of the trees, the entire forestry fraternity, whose house was burning in the fire and flashing with human screams, threw itself against the dark wizards. The centaurs fired at them, the hippogriffs carried their heart-rending cries up to the sky, the nymphs dragged the resisting Eaters into the swamp, and if anyone was able to escape, the harpies came from the sky to be their silent death.  
The forest was destroying the enemies with a rage no human was able to have.  
Exactly due to its guardianship, the girls were able to arrange something of an infirmary among the wreckage of the tent town C. Who knows how, but the news of this being a place, where the help was given, got spread all over Caledonian forest, so the injured were coming here, like moths towards the light.  
The five of them were barely managing it, but as it appeared, they were not the only ones, whose conscience rebelled against running away. Not too much time has passed before they were joined by the wizards, who came into the town ready to work, stitch, heal, clean up the mess...  
Alice had sent a message to the Ministry - a page from a book, filled in with words written with a red lipstick, but it had been two hours since the owl departed, and there had been no help yet.  
For those hours the number of people who passed through Lily’s hands reached about fifty.  
Many of them were Hogwarts students.  
Lily bravely, though quite slowly, stitched their hands, set their legs to place, healed their wounds. And after all that she hid behind the trees and was chocking with cries, begging every single God she knew to end this hell, begging for someone to come and take her away from there.  
Once, after another crying out episode, on her way back to the camp she stumbled upon Marlene.

The girl's hair was a standing up mess, her eyes glimmered feverishly, and tears with a frightening regularity were running down her cheeks. With some animal obduracy she was breaking through a thick bush towards the road and was squealing angrily every time her clothes would get stuck on the prickly branches in the darkness.  
"I am leaving. It's enough. I cannot see any of it anymore!" she shouted, when Lily tried to stop her. Her voice was wild and frightening.  
"Marlene, calm down! I need you here, now!" Lily grabbed her by the shoulders and Marlene wriggled as if stung by a wasp.  
"I cannot do this anymore, this stink, this blood! I am covered in blood! What, don't you see it? Don't you see?" Marlene grasped Lily. Her hands, unlike Lily's (which she had cleaned from all the mud and the blood) were black up to her elbows and were shaking. "Look at my hands, my face, it's all on me! Don't..."  
She was in hysterics, and Lily could not blame her. Anyone would go insane from such sights...but there was no time for hysterics.  
That is why Lily did what she had to do.  
She aimed a blow and gave her friend a hard slap.  
She would have never done anything like that before.  
But after that Marlene got herself together, was silent and came back to work and that was what mattered most.  
Sometime after that scene a pleasant surprise was upon the helpers: about ten post owls laden with medicines descended into the camp. Those were mostly the owls of the terrified and worried families and wizards, who followed the radio news broadcast about the events in the forest.  
One of the owls had a letter from the Ministry saying that brigade of healers had been sent their way, and an emergency petition for removal of the blocking spell has been filed to the Apparition Center.  
They just had to wait for it through...  
And they had to wait for the others.  
Whatever Lily was doing, every time she raised her head up, her gaze was directed at the black clearings between the trees. Gideon had left, promising he would bring them here, dead or alive, but it seemed like many tough days had passed since that moment. That is why Lily kept applying bandages, setting limbs to place, stitching wounds, and constatly whispering to herself "Please, please, please!"  
It was around 2 am when the real help arrived - from the side of the highway a big crowd of adult wizards came into the camp. They were led by the nymphs. Half of them were wearing lemon-colored gowns, the other half were in pajamas and bathrobes.  
By that time Lily had ceased to understand where she was and what she was doing. She only had enough strength to reach a small tent with the other girls, huddle together and drift into sleep.

 

When the car entered yet another tent town burnt to ashes, situated in a nice green valley, there were no less than a dozen people in the cabin.  
James jumped out of the car on the move, at least it was moving quite slowly, and threw up a hand with a lit-up wand.  
"Is there anyone alive here?" he shouted, putting his hand to his mouth to amplify the sound.  
Never mind the Eaters, never mind the danger.  
Lily.  
Find her.  
Find her, and never let go, not for one minute, not for a second...  
He inhaled and shouted out again. No reply.  
The camp looked dead and was now staring at James with the eyes of the people who ran away from here or those, who were calling for help just half an hour ago, and were now silently lying under the wreckage.  
The screams went deeper into the forest, and the ink-green night was silent. Even the crickets ceased chirping in the thoroughly burnt out air.  
James brokenly swallowed.  
"Where are they, Gideon?" he asked and got scared from how spooky his voice sounded in this silence. "You said you landed in the tent town C. Are you sure this is C?"  
"Yes, I... I left them here, but…for some reason nobody is here...where did they..."  
"How could you leave them at all, you idiotic bastard?!" shouted James and pushed his friend into the chest.  
"Prongs, cool off!" Sirius grabbed and held him. "Calm down!"  
"James, they probably moved onto another camp, the Eaters are all around here," replied Gideon in a clear voice. "Nobody is going to touch them. I told you what was happening here, the centaurs, the bowtruckles... they are safe, for sure!"  
James with a heavy heart looked around the empty space, still covered with a thick smoky gloom.  
"I shouldn’t have let her go," he whispered to Sirius. Lucy, the little girl Fabian had found, had fallen asleep in his hands during the journey. She spread on Sirius, like a little frog, and now he was carrying her on every stop they made. The thin hands and legs of the girl were hanging over from him, bouncing as he moved.  
"If you would not let her go, she would get killed in that mess within the first minute."  
James angrily turned around, but as he looked at the padded, covered with scratches and mud friend's face, he could not find what to reply to that, so he simply turned around and went back towards the car.  
"Let's move on."

 

The camp was almost lost out of sight as suddenly Gideon abruptly slammed on the brakes and everyone who was in the cabin - wounded, healthy, sleeping- all bungled together. A fair-haired girl in short jeans shorts was running after the car, waving her hands, shouting, crying and laughing.  
"Ma-ar-le-e-ne!" all of a sudden hysterically yelled Fabian, and, just like James before, jumped out of the cabin on the move, stumbled, got up, and ran back. "Marlene!!!"  
The guys hastily started getting out of the car, jostling and swearing in the dark.  
Seeing Fabian, Marlene covered her mouth with a hand, squinted and started crying. She was just standing like that, motionless, until Fabian flew up to her and fell in the grass right in front of her, embracing the uncovered, smeared with mud and blood legs of the girl, feverishly covering them with kisses.  
Following Marlene, other people came out of the tent.  
James saw her. Even from afar. Even in the darkness.  
Not even saw, he just felt her presence, and only after that did he see her slim figure.  
His legs began moving him forward.  
When she saw him arriving, Lily sighed, her legs strangely buckling, but she did not fall. Instead, she for some reason stamped her foot, and then just darted off and ran towards them.  
Towards him.  
In the name of Merlin and all the saints, Lily Evans, the Lily Evans, who angrily snorted and rolling her eyes every time he, well and healthy, asked her out for a walk, now, when he could barely move and see, was running to him, flying to him!  
James stumbled when his leg knocked into something that used to be someone's armchair, and almost fell down.  
Lily made a sound: she was either laughing or crying.  
Could there be a nicer sound in this fucked-up destroyed world?  
No-no-no, of course, not.  
And then...  
Next to the tent, which Evans had just escaped, a cloud of a black smoke appeared, and a person in a mask stepped out of it. He noticed Lily running and waved his wand.  
James’ heart skipped a beat.  
Another black cloud flashed - another Eater shouting "No, don't!" and falling out of the smoke, rushing towards the first one.  
James did not shout.  
He didn’t have time for that.  
All of this had happened within a few seconds.

Catching Lily as they both ran, James wrenched her, turning her so they would chance places. He saw the white flash of the spell lighting up Lily’s beloved face, now distorted with terror.  
After that - short sharp blinding pain in the back.  
Emptiness.


	15. Mistakes that make us

It seemed like a yet another joke, when James caught her.  
The very next second, the night exploded with white. They were both thrown on the ground. Lily hit her head and lost consciousness.  
Upon opening her eyes, all that she could see was only a yellow spot in front of her. She heard only a buzzing sound. She sank back into the dark again, but now she could hear the voices:  
"Oh, Merlin, she's alive!"  
"Water! Give me some water!"  
Somebody splashed water onto her face. Lily blinked. An abundance of sounds and smells made her feel sick.  
"What happened?" she asked. Having split her lips apart, Lily touched her face and smelled something familiar...  
Falling down, she reflexively grabbed James' jacket.  
Blood.  
Lily sat up with a jerk and all the people surrounding her surged back. The faces of her friends, ghastly lit with wands, flashed before her eyes and instantly disappeared behind a large spot of ink. Lily screwed up her eyes, shook her head and started to awkwardly rise to her feet.  
"James!" she babbled. "Where's James? Where is he?!"  
James was lying on the ground lit with five or seven wands. People surrounded him.  
He was unconscious, his face was growing pale.  
Frantically shaking, Sirius tries to bring him to senses. He was standing over his friend's unconscious body, using all the counter-spells he knew. Regardless of all his effort, an awful hole on James' body continued to open and close like a sponge, washing his pale skin with dark blood. Something red and glittering was moving inside – it seemed to be covered with a thin film. Sirius tried to find James' pulse, but his hand was shaking. He pressed his ear to his friend's chest, stained with blood. A deep blackish opening was pulsating on the side, blood pouring out...  
The world started to reel before Lily's eyes. Her knees failed her and she grabbed Lupin's face so she wouldn't fall down. Damn it, she knows these charms, she surely knows them… she heard of them on a lesson last year… it is… it…  
Suddenly James started to rattle, recovering his senses. Blood gurgled in his mouth, and his body bent out.  
"No, Prongs, no! I'm not letting you!" shouted Sirius, waving his wand again. His arms were half covered with blood. "You hear me! You hear me, do you?!"  
"Sirius, don't!" exclaimed Lily, catching his hand.  
"Evans, get the hell away from here!" roared Sirius. Lily caught his absolutely delirious gaze.  
"I know these charms! You're not helping him, you're only making it worse!" yelled Lily back. "Stop waving your wand like an idiot and help me if you want him to stay alive!"  
Sirius was heated with anger, but he managed to harness his emotions.  
"Turn him over," ordered Lily, taking a deep breath.  
Time to turn off the emotions.  
Sirius and Remus turned James over. Some girls in the crowd sobbed, pressing their hands to their mouths as an ugly hole on James' side opened wide at all its finest, bearing the rib. Lily tightly pressed her lips, calmly palpated the wound edges and rolled up her sleeves, smearing blood over her arms.  
"Light," she ordered abruptly. Peter hurried to disperse little flying lights out in the air, nearly dropping his wand.  
"Remus, hold his hands."  
"What are you doing?" asked Sirius bluntly. Lily waved her wand, and James' wound opened across its entire width. "Evans!" screamed Sirius, drowning out James' yell.  
Lily didn't answer and started to quietly mumble some strange song-like formulas.  
"Evans!"  
Lily nervously shook her head, as if she was trying to whisk away a fly. She closed her eyes. Lily badly remembered a spell and she was often stumbling to remember some part of it. Sirius' yelling wasn't helping it at all.  
"Li…"  
"Padfoot, shut up," muttered Remus, deadly quiet. He was looking at James over his hands, put together in a prayer, his face ashen.  
"Stupefy him, Sirius," muttered Lily, squeezing a request in between her chanting.  
Sirius sent a furious look at Lupin. The latter raised his wand. His hands were wildly shaking, it was impossible to look at. Peter was nervously shuffling behind them.  
The air above the blood streaming out of the wound got thick and started to vibrate like above free flame.  
James groaned. Apparently, Sirius' anesthetic charms were not strong enough to cope with the pain at this point. Still, without the charms, James' heart wouldn't survive it.  
Lily carefully opened her left hand above the wound, pressed trembling air and shoved her hand inside it like into a glove.  
James jolted, his body bent, making Remus and Sirius clutch hold of him.  
"What are you doing, Evans?" puffed Sirius. Now his face and neck were also covered in blood. His burning eyes finished his hideous look.  
Lily moved her finders as if she was pressing the keys of the piano. She shook her head in sign of negation, holding her eyes shut. But there was no doubt that she was seeing something invisible to all the others.  
James heavily convulsed. Sirius and Remus put all their efforts to hold him...  
"For fuck's sake, Evans!"  
Suddenly Lily clasped her hand into a fist as it she caught a fly.  
Then shortly pulled the fist up.  
Potter shook and bawled like a struck beast. A curse that tortured him and prevented his wound from healing suddenly crashed out of it. It looked like a little hideous creature moving its tentacles. People stared at it as one man. But as soon as it appeared in the open air it squeaked and dissolved with an eerie sigh. James, white as a ghost, his forehead and upper lip covered with beads of sweat, all in stains of blood and soil, finally relaxed and collapsed in the arms of his friends. They gently laid him down on the ground.  
_"Episkey,"_ Lily finally gasped, and lowered her wand.  
An eerie silence held the night.  
Sirius, with flaring nostrils, was looking at a place where just a moment ago a foot-sized lacerate wound was opening and closing. Now only a straight pink cut showed that it ever existed.  
A lock of hair, covering Black's eyes, was quivering.  
Every single person was gazing into James' face, fearing he might just not cope with the pain.  
At this Potter's lashes faltered and he screwed up his eyes.  
Lily let out a wan smile.  
"Thank God," she babbled, wiping sweat from her forehead with a bloody hand. At this moment she swayed forward followed with a chorus of screeching.  
Remus caught her so she wouldn't fall on James.  
"Easy," he said, carefully getting her upright again. "Lily, do you hear me?"  
"He needs… needs… blood-replen… ishing…" she desperately tried to pronounce it and pointed somewhere behind her – obviously to a tent with medicines.  
"I'll get it," shouted Alice in an unusually high-pitched voice, and she darted off. Her shout seemed to break the pall of distress and everybody started to talk and hustle. People rushed to find bandages or water, to collect stuff, to arrange the night's lodging. Several girls were crying to let out their feelings.  
"Are you okay?" Lupin quietly asked, so nobody would hear them. Though, it was such a bustle all around them that nobody could hear them anyway.  
"Everything… everything is all right, Rem. It's just… they were very unhealthy charms," replied Lily.  
"Well, we noticed that," nodded Lupin with a joyless smile, watching Sirius trying to pour the Essence of Dittany over the red cut on James' side. His hands were wildly shaking and the drops from the pipette were falling everywhere but the wound. "What was that?"  
"A Pa-Parasite spell," uttered Lily, barely moving her tongue. She felt as if she had just ran 5 miles. Her legs were shaking, she couldn't catch her breath. Snuggling her cheek against Remus' shoulder, she felt a bit better. "Very dark magic. I heard about it at the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. While the four of you were playing truant."  
Remus laughed. Hugging her with one hand, he reached into his pocket with the other.  
"Here," he said, handing something to her.  
Lily took some bits and pieces of chocolate in foil.  
"You need to eat something."  
The medicine finally reached its destination, and James uttered a loud moan. The wound started sizzling, then covered with pink foam and shriveled up with a crack, leaving a clean, angry white line surrounded by a large spot of blood. All the hustle calmed down a little and everybody huddled together around James on the ground, lighting their wands. For a couple of more seconds, James was coming to senses, wincing and moving his head. Finally he opened his eyes a little and looked at people around him.  
Lily never bit the chocolate. She instantly left Remus' shoulder and leaned over James. Her face hid behind her hair.  
"Potter… do you hear me?" Only a couple of minutes ago she was unhesitatingly rooting inside his body, and now it took her two attempts to gently stroke his cheek.  
James narrowed his eyes and saw nothing but a blurred red spot, white mask in the place of a face and a swarm of small lights around – the wands.  
"Evans, is it you?" whispered he, closing his eyes and turned back. "Shit, seems like I did pegged out and got to Heaven".  
Silence held the place again.  
People exchanged looks.  
"You… you… FUCK IT, PRONGS, I ALMOST DIED!" suddenly cried Sirius.  
James dramatically winced and turned away from him. Everybody laughed, someone even clapped hands. Alice brought a vial of blood-replenishing potion.  
James grabbed Sirius' steady hand like a rope and supported with joyful buzz of guys Padfoot helped James sit up.  
"What the…" he clutched his side. "Where did it go? What in the world was that?!"  
"Don't think about it, man," Sirius was hovering around like a bothersome mother. "It's gone. Evans finished it." Sirius' tone clearly showed how much effort these words took for him. "She fiddled with your bowels and got it out. It's over now."  
Sirius patted James' shoulder, covered with rags of his shirt. James, who was right in the process of gulping from the vial of blood-replenishing potion, capped the vial and turned to Lily, who was still sitting by him arms down with a tired look.  
"I can't see you," he croaked, raising his hand.  
Lily felt as if somebody kicked her elbow.  
She caught the palm wandering in the air and squeezed it with both hands.  
"Are you all right?" demanded he with his gaze slightly missing her face. "He didn't get you, no?"  
Lily's eyes welled up with tears.  
An impenetrable shell which she put on for the 'operation' cracked under these simple words. So this was the reason he grabbed her...  
"No," she quietly breathed out and gulped convulsively. "No..."  
Having forgot the presence of a bulk of friends, the Death Eaters who may appear any moment, Lily crawled to James on her knees and tightly twined her arms round the his neck, pulling closer his wayward shaggy head.  
Kind-hearted laughter followed. Sirius let out a long "O-o-o-oh!" with a hopeless wave and raised to his feet. Some idiot (James thought it was one of the twins) started to applaud, and everybody joined him. But at the moment, James couldn't care less.  
Still in some state of bliss (maybe because of blood loss), James stroked her back, as if trying to make sure she was that very Lily Evans.  
"Such an idiot you are, Potter," she whispered into his skin, making his flesh crawl.  
"Don't you ever do that again, ever…" her cold and wet nose nuzzled into his neck. Lily cried into his neck so that nobody saw it. She cried and cried, getting closer and closer to a hysteria, but James was blissfully happy, feeling like a perfect dumbhead.  
The happiest dumbhead in the world.  
"ATTENTION!.. ATTENTION!.. THE CALEDONIAN RESERVE IS READY FOR ACTIVATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL MAGIC APPARITION NETWORK…"  
This cold thundering voice was so similar to the voice of the Eaters at the concert that it made everybody hop up despite themselves.  
Meanwhile the voice continued his dispassionate speech:  
"... OPEN THE CHANNEL "CALEDONIAN FOREST – LONDON". THE CHANNEL SHALL BE AVAILABLE FOR ONE MINUTE IN TEN… NINE…"  
"Merlin, this means we're free to leave?!" groaned Marlene, sinking her fingers into the hair.  
"We can leave!" joined Benjy, grabbing Alice into his arms and whirling her around, regardless they hardly ever talked at school. "We! Can! Leave!" after each word he tried to throw Alice into the air, and she squealed with joy, fighting him. "Stop! Where to? The Eaters are Apparating to everywhere in London..."  
"SIX… FIVE..."  
Strangers who arrived together with the guys started to disappear with claps of apparition. Pauses between the counting just drove crazy.  
"Shit, where do we go to?!" wailed the twins.  
"THREE… TWO…"  
"Everybody, here, quickly!" ordered Lily. Guys rushed to her without hesitation, forming a large chain with their joined hands.

  
When a crowd of twelve people appeared out of nowhere right at the rear patio of a large brick cottage, a woman pale as a ghost, wearing a pink stitch dressing gown, jumped out of the door, obviously leading to the kitchen.  
The moment she saw a flock of dirty, shaggy, strangers covered with scratches and bruises, she pressed her hands to her heart. But having seen her daughter among them, she ran outside right in the gown, grabbed Lily in her arms and started to frantically kiss her face, grab her hands and shoulders, then hug and kiss again, all followed with crying. Just like a cat whose kitten miraculously got away from a neighbour's dog's mouth alive.  
"Lily, my girl, my dear one…"  
A tall red-headed man wearing a blue gown over his pyjamas and a tall thin lady appeared from the house following the woman.  
Dropping his glasses, the man ran up to his daughter, grabbed her in his arms as if she was a little girl, and lifted her up. A thin lady, clenching her gown on the chest, leaned her forehead against a door-post, closed her eyes for a tiny second, cast a scared glance at a pack of wizards, and then arrived with her sister.  
"You said they would t-tell about the concert on the radio… I've been turning the dials as you taught me for the whole evening… when I heard what was going on there..."  
"Radio!" shouted James. Everybody got startled and followed James into the house that very moment. Now the information was the utmost need.  
Having nipped through the guys crowding at the entrance, Mrs. Evans reached a small radio on the kitchen table and turned the volume up.  
A high freezing voice replaced an incomprehensible croak, previously emanating from the speakers. Hustle and bustle instantly died away. Everybody stared at a crackling speaker in terror.  
_"_

 _...the event taking place today is not an occasional revolt. This is the first strike. This is a backlash of a magic organism to a disease nestling inside of its body and devouring it from within. I am talking about the Muggles, or rather about Mudblood bastards, encroaching our law, out secrets, our heritage. Magic race degrades within the Mudblood. The Muggles have been trying to eradicate us for seven centuries. Seven centuries of blood, aimless violence, torture, cruel mobbing and humiliation. Seven centuries of disgrace._  
_"And I say: enough. An inferior race of weak, stupid creatures cannot give the law to the strong. This goes against the very nature..."_

  
"Bloody scumbag!" swore Mr. Evans.  
"John, children!" Mrs. Evans let out a desperate cry.  
"Children totally agree," said Sirius under his breath, sending a hateful gaze into the speaker.  
All the others were standing still in silence, looking nowhere and imaging the face of a person saying these words. That half-human, half-snake face that once flashed in a newspaper and went unnoticed back then...

_"... from now your streets shall not be peaceful..."_

Mrs. Evans squeezed Lily's shoulders.

_"... there shall be no shelter in your homes. I shall find you, your children. I shall abolish the very word 'Muggle'. I shall flood the roads of your cities with blood..."_

James was looking at the radio so closely as if Voldemort was talking to him in person.

_"... You can destroy me, but others will come. We are more numerous than you think. My brothers wizards, listening to me now! I want to tell you: join me, fight with me – but do not impede me, otherwise you will die. I shall build a new world on the blood of those fallen. A new magic world, healed and clean. The world as it used to be many thousands of years ago. As it will be very soon..."_

"streets shall not be peaceful…"

  
These words resonated like a bell in the thoughts of all the present. They would stand as if under hypnosis looking at the radio, had it not been for...  
"I need to get home," rasped James, pushing off the table he was leaning on.  
That moment a tornado of words filled the room. Everybody started to babble and agitate.  
"Me too!"  
"My parents are in Wessex…"  
"Me too, me too!"  
"Where can I Apparate from?"  
"I can't Apparate!"  
"Wait, guys, wait!" Mrs. Evans outshouted everybody, rising her arms as if they were waves threatening to wipe out her and the house together. "You can't leave right now… you… just… oh, give me a moment…" she pushed her way to the radio.  
James took a glance at Lily. The words from the radio had a greater influence on her than at him. He discreetly found her hand and squeezed it. Lily raised her eyes at him.  
"Where is this…" Mrs. Evans pushed the buttons and turned the dials.  
"May I help you, ma'am?" offered Remus.  
"Oh, no-no, thank you…. Oh, here is it!"  
The radio gave out a horrible croak as if it was dying of the abundance of awful information. Then a hasty voice of a reporter followed:  
"... thousands of complaints were received, as well as requests to inform competent authorities. But all we can do is to appeal to the patience of magic society. Let me remind you that due to the terrorist attack in the Caledonian Forest the Apparition network, Floo network and Portkey network..."  
A collective groan nearly deafened the end of news:  
"... are disabled in order to capture the miscreants. Every hour we receive information about victims and missing persons. At the moment the official numbers are as follows: two thousand four hundred eighty-two wizards are considered perished, around eight hundred are wounded. More exact lists will be announced by morning…"  
"What should we do now?"  
"I doubt that the Knight Bus works now!"  
"It could work now, I think!"  
"Stay here until it clears out!" loudly said Mr. Evans, who all this time was standing behind Petunia as a guard. "We have enough room for everybody. You'll have some food and shower. Tomorrow you'll decide you how can get home!"

While Mrs. Evans was busy with dinner for guys, Mr. Evans organised a first-aid station. Guys split into two groups and attacked bathrooms at the first and second floors.  
The first floor was filled with ladies' voices. Everywhere dirt and blood gave way to flushed shoulders and ankles. Girls wrapped into bathrobes conjured out of the air, placed all their dirty clothes into a big basket hovering over them, dried their dark wet hair with towels and twittered like birds on the porch.  
The second floor was trembling with men's bass. Boys were spanking the floor with long wet feet. They obviously were enjoying parading around the house wearing only towels on their hips and shaking short wet hair.  
Mrs. Evans ordered the boys – who were more numerous – to get changed in the rooms of Petunia and Lily upstairs, and the girls – in the living-room near to the bathroom downstairs.  
Actually, it all happened when they decided to stay and James asked Lily's owl to send a letter to his parents.  
She showed him in her room along with other boys, who also wanted to drop a line home. But she was so busy that she left right away and they didn't have a chance to talk. James felt that after that flash in the forest there is a string of something implicit between them. And this string now connects them through the whole house regardless of what they were up to.  
After the letter was sent, he finally had an opportunity to look around the room where lived a girl he loved.  
Here everything was saturated with her spirit, thoughts and interests. Everything he loved about Evans was imprinted here, in the room: a small well-kept greenhouse on a windowsill, flowers and plants everywhere, a tidy table (until he sat down to it: now the surface was covered with a pile of paper and pens, which puzzled James completely). On the shelf above the table he saw the backs of books she read or just held in her hands. Books were neighbouring porcelain figurines, each of which for James looked like Lily herself, and framed photos, mostly family ones, not animated but cordial.  
The wall above the table was a riot of photos of her favourite singers and actors (here James felt a bout of unmotivated jealousy because of all these sex icons) with a large school photo in the centre. The whole class was fooling about and infinitely waving to the camera. He – James – was also here. So, she at least sometimes looks at him. It's good.  
On the back of the chair there was a warm sweater she wore at home – probably, she wraps herself up in it when she's cold. On the top of the chest of drawers there were some combs, bracelets, make up, perfumes – all the girl's stuff, like his mum owns. All this stockpile of vials always was the source of sneer and secret curiosity in him.  
On the top of small bedside table there was a plastic box of an unknown purpose with a bulk of buttons. James pushed one of them. The box lit up and started talking. Quite an unpleasant surprise for James – he jumped back and hit the table. Making Sirius bend over in laughter. James decided to deactivate the box.  
But the thing that heated James' imagination the most was a big bed covered with a green bedspread. It was overwhelmed with pillows, and among them he saw – oh, my! – a toy that he gave Lily at time out of mind. A big plush deer wearing a scarf.  
For him is was nothing more than a joke. But it turns out she sleeps with this toy!  
... Evans in a stretched t-shirt, spanky pants and socks gets under the blanket, nuzzles into the pillow, tumbles, hugs this deer – so warm, so tender, so soft… and he comes over to her...  
"Dear tourists!" a loud and sharp Black's voice sounded over his ear. James angrily shivered, and Sirius grabbed his neck turning to everybody. "We are now can see the pearl of muggle world – the room of Lily Evans!"  
He, Remus and Peter were almost naked safe for the boxer briefs waiting for their turn to take the shower. And only James grabbed his t-shirt on the back and got stuck in the process of taking it off for a quarter of an hour, immersed in his research.  
"… please now look to the left and you will have a unique opportunity to see a stunning, breath-taking, fantastic artifact of woodwork — a chest of drawers!  
Remus politely applauded. Peter chuckled. James fought an urge to kill them. He couldn't get what they were doing here, in Lily's room in the first place. It's only him who should be here. Him and her.  
But instead of her there are these three idiots.  
"But don't let the simplicity of form fool you, as the exterior is secondary, but the content is primary!" Sirius, still tightly holding James, dramatically opened the first drawer. "Here you may see the clothes that Lily Evans put on her..." he rolled up the eyes, fitting into an image, "…bo-o-ody!"  
Sirius was about to draw out something improper, but James harshly slammed the drawer shut, almost cutting off Sirius' hand.  
"Morons!" Smiling, he turned his back to the boys, devastatingly pleased with themselves. At his the door flew open letting in loud voices of joyful twins, who just got out of shower, along with sounds of the radio and overwhelming scent of chicken broth.  
Petunia, with a quite bleak face, squeezed sidelong into the room with a pile of clean bath towels. At the sight of four half-naked boys her face covered with pink spots, holding her.  
"Well-well-well!" Sirius' eyes momentarily lightened up. He dropped the belt he was undoing, opened his shoulders and waddled to the scared girl. James thought that his friend, during their first Animagus attempt, turned into a dog by an awful mistake, as now he was looking like a big horny cat. Petunia grabbed the doorknob, but Sirius was more nimble slamming the door right in front of her with his hand abut against the door next to the girl's head. "Look at that, guys! What a flower here graced our dull company!"  
"Padfoot, calm down!" Remus sent Petunia a gentle smile at took the towels from her, waiting for the opportunity to leave the room and go take shower. "Just take no notice of him. In reality, he's very kind."  
Petunia sent Remus back such a glance that James suspected Lily's sister might also be a werewolf.  
"He's right, I'm very kind," joined Sirius. "And I don't bite… or maybe sometimes…"  
"Padfoot, leave it," James did his bid to protection of the girl.  
"Am I doing anything?" Sirius asked. He leaned on his elbow, resting on the door, which made Petunia, red as a beet, flatten against the door. "Take no notice of that dweeb, kitty, he's just jealous. So, what is your name, sweets?"  
Petunia shrinked her head into the shoulders.  
James smirked and took off his t-shirt.  
"… what's wrong with this door, for the God sake..?" they heard a disgruntled voice the moment before the door burst open, throwing Petunia into Black's embrace. Lily with a basket full of dirty clothes plunged into the room.  
James lowered his hands holding a t-shirt, reflexively throwing back his shoulders for her to see him at his finest.  
"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed angrily. Such voice is usually intended for a beloved pet caught at ruining house shoes.  
Sirius in a jiffy changed his manner of a horny cat to a kicked puppy, spread his arms letting a captive burst out of the room without looking back, having thrown the towels to her sister.  
"What?" asked Sirius in a high tone of hurt innocence. Lily answered him with a towel thrown right into his face, and come up to the others.  
Remus ran to the shower before Sirius, taking advantage of his halt. Sirius tried to catch him, but failed risking his fingers again – this time at the door.  
"Here, Peter," Lily gently offered him a pile of towels, while Sirius and Remus were fighting for the bathroom door in the hall. "I'm sorry, boys, that you had to jumble here, it's just a real pandemonium downstairs. But you'll sleep in the living room, that's for sure."  
Saying these words, she looked like someone from a parallel universe. James imagined that at a moment like this – when he's finally in her house, her room, half-naked (fancy that!) and wounded also – she'll let him understand… understand at least anything. But when he came up to take a towel, she didn't even look at him.  
"Are you all right?" he asked quietly, so that Peter couldn't hear them.  
"Yes, totally," answered Lily earnestly, sending a short look to somewhere over his left ear. Then she lifted the basket with a spell - the one with dirty clothes the boys already put there, and left.  
"Listen, mmmm, Evans, I… I…"  
Sirius caught Lily at the stairs after he lost the bathroom fight.  
It wasn't that he really wanted to talk about it, but it was clear that he would just explode if he held it inside for an hour more. He leaned over the banisters to hold her from leaving and prepared to turn himself inside out. Lily stopped and gave him a perplexed look, pushing up the sleeves of her shirt. The basket was hovering behind her back like a UFO.  
"I… I wanted to apologize," Sirius made a face. Lily was so astonished, as if he announced his decision to become a professional ballet dancer. "I shouldn't have shouted at you there, in the camp… I… I don't really think you're to be blamed, okay? I shouldn't have smudged my snivels all over the place as a wimp, I should have gone and kicked that Eater's ass, so…"  
The rise of Lily's eyebrows made it obvious she had the same thought in her head.  
Sirius faltered.  
"Okay, just… Forgive me," finally pronounced he. "I feel like a shit."  
One should be one of Blacks to really understand the level of moral effort he had to put into this word. He thought that if Lily snubbed him it would be a punishment serious enough for him to feel free. And if she forgave him, then… then she's a saint indeed.  
Lily changed he suspicious look to a smile – as if he told a funny joke – and went a couple of stairs down.  
"Black, are you an idiot? I didn't take any offense!"  
Sirius went bug-eyed.  
"I'd be offended if you said that because you thought so," she stopped in front of him with her arms crossed – like a mom announcing to her son the end of his house arrest. "But you said that because you were worried about James. I know you didn't mean it, so it's okay.  
Sirius shut his mouth.  
"Now I feel even more of a shit," muttered he, making Lily smile.  
"Well, if you want to wash away your guilt…"  
"I do!" Sirius turned on momentarily.  
Lily made an imperative gesture in the direction of a kitchen.  
"Then go help my mom!"  
"Yes, ma'am!" Sirius bolted upright and took off downstairs. As soon as he disappeared, Lily's smile vanished. She stood there for a couple of seconds more looking at a place where Sirius just stood, then took a deep breath and went to call the girls for dinner.

**Author's Note:**

> Visit my Tumblr for the DM cast, questions and delicious things :)  
> http://maria-ch.tumblr.com/
> 
> My cast
> 
> http://seedmcast.tumblr.com/


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